Senate on Tuesday went against it’s earlier resolve to adopted a constitutional review that will actualize the 35% affirmative action for women.
Without recourse to the recent visit of the wife of the President Aisha Buhari to drum support for women inclusion, and the visit of the wife of the vice President Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, the lawmakers rejected two bills proposed to empower and to attach special recognition to women in Nigeria.
One of the bills is seeking the creation of one special seat for a woman at the Senate, House of Representatives and the Federal Capital Territory without prejudice to eligibility to contest.
It said: “The bill seeks to create a special seat for women in the Senate, House of Representatives and the State Houses of Assembly and the Federal Capital Territory reserved solely for women without prejudice to their eligibility to contest in the existing Senatorial seats in each State and FCT.”
Also, the proposed 35% affirmative action for women in political party administration was also voted against by Senators.
The bill was rejected by senators who voted when it was considered.
The lawmakers had muted the plan to move for the 35 affirmative action by giving opportunity to the womenfolk to produce one female senator each in the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory.
The gave the assurance at plenary last wednesday when they welcome the wife of the President, Aisha Buhari who visited to drum support for the same purpose.
The first lady also visited to witness the presentation of the constitutional review report as it was being laid at the chamber.
Omo-Agege before moving a motion for the Senate to receive the report of the constitution review had told the President of the senate that he assumed that the first Lady was at the chamber with the potential 37 new senators that will come into the Senate following the adoption of constitutional review report.
The president of the Senate Ahmad Lawan had earlier on behalf of senators welcome the first Lady, the mother of the nation to the chamber of the Senate
Hear him,
“I want to extend our welcome to all the members of the delegation of the First Lady, into the chamber of the Senate today.
“Your Excellency you are welcome. Let me recognize as an official the presence also of the Hon. Minister for Women Affairs, who has been a friend of the parliament and especially the Senate. You are highly welcome.
Continuing Lawan said, “Because this particular segment has of our activity is particularly having to do with gender sensitivity, it is only appropriate that I invite a female senator to second the motion moved by the Deputy President of the Senate.
“Thank you very much DSP. Let me say that this is a special segment of our sitting. It is not usual that we have the presence of the First Lady in the Chamber for particularly the cause of legislative action.
“But this is a special cause and the First Lady has been consistent in supporting gender inclusivity. We are all in support of gender sensitivity. In fact in this Senate, we have only two groups, the female Senators and the HEsForSHEs.
“All the rest of us, male senators, are HEsFor SHEs. So this is a report on the Constitution Review and the presence of the First Lady is essentially to show her support for one of the Bills that want to create an affirmative action for more female parliamentarians in both chambers in the Senate and the House and the State Legislatures.”
However, when they voted on Tuesday they forgot their promise to the first Lady as they jettison the two Bill’s.