Reps Makes U-turn Regarding The Gender Bill

Reps Makes U-turn Regarding The Gender Bill

The House of Representatives has overturned its judgment on three gender-related constitutional amendment initiatives.

The U-turn comes in response to the criticism that the rejection of women-related laws sparked.

The bills are as follows: Citizenship: the bill seeks to alter section 26 of the 1999 constitution to allow foreign husbands of Nigerian women to register for citizenship.

Affirmative action: The bill proposes amending section 223 of the constitution to establish 35 percent affirmative action to guarantee that women hold at least 35 percent of leadership positions in political parties.

After at least five years of marriage, a woman can become an indigene of her husband’s state, according to the statute.

According to The Cable, the lower parliamentary chamber reversed its judgment on the legislation when Hassan Fulata, head of the house committee on business and rules, made a motion.

“Honourable members recall that on the first of March we voted for constitution amendment on 68 bills,” Fulata said.

“However, three (gender) bills could not scale through because we could not obtain the two-thirds majority to pass the bills.

“Accordingly, in line with our extant rules, I move that we suspend our extant rules to rescind our decision in respect of these three bills and recommit to the committee of the whole for reconsideration.

The legislation will be evaluated by the speaker of the house, Femi Gbajabiamila, during the next vote on the constitution amendment, which will take place in four weeks.