Reps Akin Rotimi

….Says Constitution Review Exercise Not a Jamboree

By Chibuike Nwabuko

ABUJA FCT  –   Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon Akin Rotimi Jnr. has said that the 10th Assembly has a legislative agenda with clear objectives, and has set December 2025 as deadline to have achieved the first round of constitution amendment far away from politics and elections that would be heating up the polity in 2026 and 2027. 

This is also as he has debunked insinuations in certain quarters that the constitution review exercise is a jamboree. He however, emphasized that the 10th National Assembly (NASS) is being very intentional about the process of inclusion, especially in ensuring that all stakeholders are carried along having learnt a lesson from the previous rounds of constitution amendments where people were seeing the NASS as doing their things the way they want and at the end of the day, they come with some proposals that the stakeholders might feel they are not part of.

The Spokesperson who stated this on Monday while feilding questions from newsmen on the side line during the “International Legislative Dialogue on Women and Constitution Amendment in Nigeria”, said as responsible representatives of the people, ours is to supretend over the process that is inclusive and move in direction that is in line with global best practices.

In responding to the narrative that women dont get involve in politics because it is expensive, Hon Rotimi Jnr. said we have to put pressure on political parties to make political contestation less expensive. He also acknowledged that in the last election, some parties even have their forms free of charge for women and people with disabilities while others discounted 10 percent of the amount. He harped on the need for internal democracy within parties to allow for greater women participation.

He charged the political parties to ensure that it is enshrined within their constitution and their various mandates that there is an intentional steps to ensure that more women, people wirh didabilities, younger people are included in that process to be able to have more of these people, especially the women come out, either as appointed, more importantly as elected government officials.

The House of Reps Spokesperson expressed optimism that under the leadership of Hon Benjamin Kalu  as the chairman of House Committee on Constitution, they will.be able to achieve key landmark constitutional amendment that would better favour the well-being of women and greater representation of women, especially in elective positions.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Deputy Speaker, Hon Benjamin Kalu hinted that the gathering serves as a reaffirmation of the collective dedication to advancing women’s political representation and inclusion, a priority that aligns deeply with the Legislative Agenda of the House of Representatives and the pursuit of a fairer, more inclusive Nigeria.

Hon Kalu further  highlighted that Countries that have successfully integrated women into
decision-making roles experience gains in innovation, collaboration across sectors, and, notably, economic growth. In Africa for example, comparative insights from Rwanda, Tanzania, and Senegal indicate the transformativebenefits of gender parity in government leadership that Nigeria can emulate.  For instance, reports indicate that Nigeria could potentially achieve a 9% increase in GDP by 2025 with significant improvements inwomen’s participation across all sectors. Investing in women’s leadership,particularly within the political sphere, thus carries measurable and far-reaching benefits that we cannot afford to overlook.

“Recognizing these benefits, the House of Representatives has made constitutional reform a cornerstone of its legislative agenda. I am honored to lead the House Committee on Constitution Review, where we have proposed bills aimed at correcting the gender imbalance within government at all levels. One such critical bill, “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for 

Seat Reservation for Women in the National and State Houses ofAssembly” (HB 1349), alongside four other gender justice bills, are under consideration.

This proposed legislation is designed to remedy the low representation of women by creating additional seats specifically for femalecandidates in national and state legislatures.

According to the Deputy Speaker,  Countries with higher women’s representation in governance consistently show higher rates of progress in health, education, and economic stability. Our society, therefore, stands to gain immensely from a legislature that reflects the diverse makeup of its citizenry and values contributions from all perspectives.