The politically conscious women in Nigeria are currently hurting over the rejection of the bills that sought to increase their participation in politics. One of such bills had sought to create 111 special seats for them. But it failed. Does that have some cultural and religious connotations or just not yet time for women to play big role in Nigeria politics? Saturday Vanguard reports!

By Levinus Nwabughiogu-Abuja

It had all the appurtenances of a proposed piece of legislation, awaiting validation and legitimacy.

Everything conventional went into it: lobbying, strategy, advocacy, money and then, politics. From the time of its conceptualization to the time of voting to give it life, the optimism about its passage was high.

Its proponents were cocksure in the light of assurances received from colleagues to give their support. But boom, the shock came. And then, the hysteria.

This is the ominous dark cloud that had gathered around the bill that sought the creation of 111 special seats for Nigerian women in both the federal and sub-national parliaments. 

To say the least, the rejection was loud and irritating. The frustration was regrettable. And the backlashes, nationwide, now billow like a thick, black smoke. 

Yet, it wasn’t the only gender bill that got a kick by both the Senate and the House of Representatives in the just concluded 1999 constitutional review exercise. A couple of others abound. 

There was the bill to make some offices in the political hierarchy an exclusive of the women.

There was also the one to confer automatic citizenship on the foreign spouse of any Nigerian woman.

There was the Indigenship Bill that was meant to make women eligible to contest election in their husbands’ states after about five years into marriage.

Then, the last one seeking some percentage for women in the ministerial slots and the Commissionership at the State level.

Those were the gender and equality bills that sought a legal backing to the 35 percent affirmative action which is of international significance. Unfortunately, no vent was given to them. 

The backgrounds

The special seats bill debuted on Thursday, April 22, 2021 on the floor of the House of Representatives and showed predilection to more participation of women in politics. Seeking to alter the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and create 37 additional seats in the Senate and 74 in the House of Representatives for women, the bill was sponsored by the Deputy Chief Whip, Hon. Nkiruka Onyejiocha, representing Isikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency of Abia State.

The bill also craved for one additional seat from each of the three senatorial districts in the state exclusively for women in each State House of Assembly.

To get the bill passed, knowing the legislative trajectories that usually lead to the demise or otherwise of bills, Onyejiocha enthroned an unusual strategy. She got a handful of male lawmakers to own and co-sponsor it. The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila was a prominent name amongst the lot. 

And so, the bill received both a boost and a bite. At the zonal public hearings, it also received unprecedented support. 

Also, at the special joint Senate and the House committee of the constitutional review, the bill got wings and made the final list among the 68 ones to be voted on by the entire House. 

But on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, it failed to fly during voting. A two-third majority of 240 votes out of the 360 members was the requirement but only 88 members voted in favor of the bill eventually.

This was also the case with the other bills except the one for ministerial/commissioner nominees. How did this happen? A vote was called. The members lashed at it and roundly voted against it the first time. This felt bad. The women lawmakers, 13 of them, kicked instantly.

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila felt for them and swiftly activated his 6th sense. He immediately adopted a strategy, explaining the import of the bill yet again to the members.
Then, a second vote came. Still, the same fate befell the bill. But the Speaker tactically withheld his gavel.

There and then, he announced that the machines had suddenly developed some technical hitches and therefore, the House would revert to the voice voting formula. Incidentally, the bill was the last of the 68 bills on the list.

The members had been seated all day and certainly, boredom had set it. And so, no protest or point of order on the malfunctioning of the machines. Gbajabiamila then put the question. A thunderous chorus of “nay” took the air, deafening the “yea” sayers voices. But the Speaker hit the gavel in the favour of the yea sayers. And that was it. The bill passed by the whiskers. Technically.

Tactical Lobbying

Never has it ever been heard that in the political and legislative history of Nigeria, the first and second ladies of the nation would visit the both chambers of the national assembly to observe the proceedings.

ALSO READ: Thought we had learnt how not to fly an airline by now

But this occurred last week when Mrs. Aisha Buhari and Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, wives of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo respectively visited. While the First Lady visited on Wednesday, February 23, the second lady chose to go on the voting day.

Their mission was simple. Lobbying. But sadly, their presence did not sway any minds. Any cultural and religious connotations? Not yet known!

Issues of Culture/ Religion?   

Believe it or not, Nigeria is a piece of Africa where conventions and creed live supreme. And so, religious and cultural issues are sacredly revered and tenaciously held onto by their adherents.

It may not be the lot of a 21st-century man but most Nigerians including women would heed the Biblical call of being submissive to their husbands rather than matching shoulder to shoulder with them.

This may be the belief of some people. But that’s neither here nor there, especially in politics outside the home. The import of the seats, as canvassed by Onyejiocha was to harness the potentials of women in all spheres of life for the rapid development of the country.

Gone are those days when the women’s education ended in the kitchen. They may not be asking for equality but a chance to contribute their quota to the pool of intellectual acumen and the technical know-how for a greater and greener tomorrow as demanded by the democratic principle that is blind to sexism.

That’s the thinking. And talking about the cultural and religious connotations in the voting, if any, again, Onyejiocha shut down such thoughts.

“It has nothing to do with north. They say it is northerners. It’s not true. The northerners that sat with me voted yes to women representation, and I can call the names; all the northerners that sat with me voted yes. So, nobody should deceive us that it is north. It’s not about north. It’s about individuals who do not want women to be included for reasons best known to them. And I don’t want anybody to come and say it’s a northern issue, it’s a northern issue, please.  It is about us, Nigerians. It is Nigerian men. But these men are using their knee on our neck and I think it’s got to stop but we are waiting. Nigerian women are waiting for them to tell us their reasons because I have researched and I can’t find any justifiable reason”, she said in an interview with Journalists. 

A tirade of protests/Occupy National Assembly

On the heels of the rejection of the bills came a tirade and flurry of protests that had rocked the national assembly.

A plethora of women’s groups besieged the main gate of the parliament on Wednesday and Thursday last week, vowing to occupy the place with their cooking utensils until the bills are reconsidered. Would that happen? This is in the womb of time.

A special quota not needed by women /It has religious, cultural dispositions-Kalu, Reps Spokesman. 

While the cravings by the women deepen, one would however be surprised to know that many women were opposed to having a special quota allotted to them.

According to the spokesman of the House, Hon. Ben Kalu who briefed on the issue of the bills’ rejection, some consultations made by the House indicated that some women questioned why they must be given a percentage instead of allowing them occupy offices by merits.

This thus brought division among the women, a development that may have played a role during the voting. Kalu insisted that culture and religion had a role to play

“I want to thank all the women who played one role or the other in regards to sensitization, to bringing this to the fore, that the participation of women in Governance is lower than expected, especially when a comparative analysis is done between this nation and other nations. I want to thank the Deputy Chief Whip of the House, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha for pushing and lobbying hard for these Bills to pass. I also want to thank the wife of the Vice President, Dolapo Osinbajo for showing interest and standing by the side of women. Same goes for President Buhari’s wife for being there for the women. 

“Great course I must say, but a journey of a thousand miles starts with a step. The step has been taken. It was the right step. The lobbying that was done was not done in vain.  That is the beauty of democracy. Because if it was not, the wives of the President and the Vice President would have no business coming here. They knew that it was only through lobby, not as you have described us as rubber stamp, where they will just give us instructions—maybe the husband will give us instructions and we will get it done. It will be through lobbying and they participated in that lobby with all humility. Let us not forget the minister of women affairs, who was also very dogged, and all the CSOs. But I must say this lobby was done a bit late. 

“Yes, I want to say that, but this lobby and advocacy ought to have started longer than now. I say that without mincing words. You don’t lobby two days to the voting on a very important issue like this. It goes beyond lobbying at the last minute. It takes a lot of orientations. It takes a lot of advocacy. It takes a lot of sensitization to enable people buy into these all important agenda. You know why? Because you cannot play down on our current issues with regards to emerging democracies, one of which is our religious disposition, our cultural dispositions. These things play a role. We are part of the society. Our religion and culture are part of the society. It needs a lot of advocacy by civil society organizations, women groups”, he said.

It will increase cost of governance-Rep.. Igbakpa

Similarly, the lawmaker representing Ethiope federal constituency of Delta State, Hon. Ben Igbakpa told Saturday Vanguard that outside being inconsistent with section 42 of the 1999 Constitution, the feeling is that adopting the bills will further increase the cost of governance.

“Some members voted along the line the of section 42 of the Constitution that has to do with discrimination. They argued that If special seats are given to women, what will happen to men because they have not been given any special seats too? The women also contest the existing seats with men even with their special seats. Again, the issue of cost of governance. It’s every where that the cost of governance is high and you are bringing another financial burden? Many people have actually suggested unicameral and part-time legislature in the past. So, bringing in another 100 plus members will further increase the cost of governance especially when nothing is stopping the women from contesting with the men on the existing seats”, he said.

Lastline

For sure, there are palpitations. The protests and uproars are real. The women are not smiling right now. They are hurting. Would they be placated? Any respite in sight? Again, the answers to these questions lie in the passage of time.

Vanguard News Nigeria