Mr. Godwin Obaseki, Edo State governor, has said the National Assembly missed a golden opportunity to redesign Nigeria’s political landscape when it rejected five bills seeking to enhance inclusion of women in politics and governance.
Both chambers of the National Assembly had on Tuesday, voted on bills seeking to amend the constitution with both rejecting the gender bills.
The rejection has continued to attract criticisms with civil society groups calling on the lawmakers to reconsider the bill.
In a statement on Wednesday, Obaseki described the action of the national assembly as “painful and unconscionable,” noting that, “The recent developments at the national assembly, in which five bills seeking affirmative action and inclusion for women were vehemently shut down by members, is most regrettably and unsettling.”
According to him, “This is because the legislature is the bastion of democracy and a critical platform for fair representation and inclusion in government.
“It is therefore painful and unconscionable that these bills which provide a fillip for accommodating women who make up about 50 percent of the voting population, are subjected to such a sorry fate.
“It is heartbreaking that the national assembly members missed a golden opportunity to redesign Nigeria’s political landscape by enshrining landmark legislation that promotes inclusion and provides women with the legal backing to gain equitable representation at the apex level of lawmaking and political participation.”
The governor asked the national assembly to provide opportunities for women to able to participate in politics and governance.