The National Assembly may be considering creating additional 74 seats in the Senate and House of Representatives for women as part of the ongoing of the 1999 Construction.
Similarly, three additional seats are also being considered exclusively women in each of the 36 states House of Assembly without displacing existing federal and state constituencies.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele dropped the hint on Monday at the 2026 Law Week organised by the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ekiti State Chapter.
According to Bamidele, who is Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution, the proposal seeks to create 37 additional seats each in the Senate and House of Representatives, ensuring that every state and the Federal Capital Territory gets one reserved seat in both chambers.
He said the initiative, which is receiving legislative attention, was the product of extensive consultations and consensus-building, adding that it was designed to deepen women’s participation in governance.
“The proposal, as it stands, is meticulous in its design. It seeks to add 37 seats in the Senate and 37 seats in the House of Representatives,” he said.
Bamidele further disclosed that the proposed reserved seats would operate for 16 years, covering four electoral cycles, after which the arrangement would undergo a comprehensive review.
He expressed confidence that the proposal would secure the required two-thirds approval of state assemblies, noting that their concurrence was constitutionally necessary for the amendment to take effect.
Describing the initiative as a non-partisan reform, the Senate Leader argued that excluding women, who constitute more than half of the population, from decision-making undermines representative democracy. He also acknowledged the advocacy of the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu in advancing the push for greater female representation.
Bamidele called for stronger legal protections for women and children, insisting that justice must be accessible, affordable, timely and effective. He said victims of domestic violence and child abuse must receive legal, medical and psychosocial support, while perpetrators should be held accountable under the law.
The event was attended by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Information and National Orientation, Steve Fatoba, and Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye, among other dignitaries.