Following The National Assembly’s action of voting against the Five Gender bills which includes the demand to create extra seats for women in the ongoing Constitution amendment, women from different groups have blocked the entrance to the National Assembly since last Tuesday, demanding that the lawmakers rescind their decision.
However, the Spokesperson of the House, Ben Kalu, had last Thursday said the bills were rejected based on the recommendations of their constituents and the lawmakers should not be blamed for rejecting the bill. He added that women, including the First Lady, Aisha Buhari and Second Lady, Dolapo Osinbajo failed to commence the lobbying for the bills early enough.
“But I must say this, the lobbying was done a bit late. Yes, I want to say that, but this lobby and advocacy ought to have started longer than now. I say that without missing words. You don’t lobby two days to the voting on a very important issue like this. It goes beyond lobbying at the last minute,” he said.
According to Kalu, the rejection of the bills, despite the lobby by Mrs Buhari and Mrs Osinbajo, shows that the National Assembly is not a rubber stamp parliament to the executive.
On the other hand, on Wednesday, the Senate sent a delegation led by Sen Ajayi Boroffice to interface with the protesters; however, the women insisted that they would only speak with Senate President, Ahmad Lawan or Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila or their deputies.
Sen Sabi Abdullahi, while responding to the protesters said the Senators are all equal, hence, the presiding officers cannot impose any position on the Senate noting that the Senate President will have to lobby the Senators in the event of re-consideration of the bills.
Although the rules of the two chambers allow for change of decisions on any subject matter, yet, the bill reconsideration would require 2/3 of the members of each chamber to rescind the decision in accordance with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution.
In recent development, Newsmen gathered that the women groups are planning a big protest again at the entrance of the National Assembly to commemorate International Women’s Day.
