ABUJA — The National Assembly Joint Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has proposed the creation of 74 additional special legislative seats reserved exclusively for women across the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The announcement was made by Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, while delivering a keynote address at the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) 2026 Law Week in Ekiti State.
Under the proposed constitutional amendment framework, the initiative seeks to enhance female political participation without displacing existing legislative seats or sitting lawmakers:
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Senate: Creation of 37 additional seats, allocating one affirmative action seat to each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
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House of Representatives: Creation of 37 additional seats, guaranteeing one special women’s seat per state and the FCT.
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State Houses of Assembly: A parallel provision proposing three reserved seats for women in each state legislature nationwide.
| Legislative Level | Current Structure | Proposed Special Seats for Women | Total Proposed Seats |
| Senate | 109 | +37 (1 per State + FCT) | 146 |
| House of Representatives | 360 | +37 (1 per State + FCT) | 397 |
| State Assemblies | Varies by State | +3 per State Assembly | Varies |
Senator Bamidele stated that the proposal enjoys broad cross-party support and advocacy momentum, noting contributions from First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu and civil society organizations. He added that federal lawmakers are actively engaging state Houses of Assembly to secure the required two-thirds constitutional concurrence across state legislatures once the bill is passed at the center.
