The Katsina State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Nasiru Daura, has pledged full support for the swift passage of the Special Seats for Women Bill. On Thursday, hundreds of women, led by FIDA Nigeria Chairperson Baraka Suleiman, marched to the Assembly complex and submitted a petition dated March 23, 2025, urging lawmakers to back the bill. The petition highlighted that women's representation in Nigeria's legislative bodies remains below five per cent, placing the country among the lowest in Africa for women's political inclusion. It proposed creating additional legislative seats for women, citing successful models in Rwanda, South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda.
The women also visited the office of Ali Abu Albaba, Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs, to push for an emergency sitting and a favourable vote on the bill. Speaker Daura assured the group that the petition would be prioritised, stating, "I will ensure that your petition is properly considered and, by the grace of God, I will make sure the Special Seats for Women Bill scales through for Governor Dikko Umaru Radda's assent soon." He added, "Women are nation builders and we must do all we can for their success." Hannatu Mohammad, Katsina State Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, described the petition as timely, stressing the need for urgent action.
Nasiru Daura's public backing of the Special Seats for Women Bill stands in contrast to the long history of legislative inaction on gender inclusion. While the 9th and 10th National Assemblies failed to pass similar bills, Daura's promise to push it through to Governor Radda's desk suggests a rare moment of political will. If the bill becomes law, Katsina could set a precedent for other states on increasing women's presence in governance. But without concrete legislative movement soon, the gesture risks being just another speech.
