The Coalition for Women Participation in Governance and Leadership (CFWPGL) has threatened to file a lawsuit to stop the inauguration of the 10th national assembly if female lawmakers are not nominated as presiding officers in the house of representatives.
The speaker and deputy speaker are the presiding officers in the house of representatives.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Atinuke Olaolu, secretary of the coalition, decried the number of women elected to the national assembly in the just concluded general election.
Olaolu said the number is “abysmal”, adding that it was expected that the women population in politics would grow after the 2023 elections.
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The group says it is planning to get an “injunction against the inauguration of the 10th national assembly” — except female lawmakers are considered for the speaker of deputy speaker position.
“The CFWPGL has decried the abysmal number of women that emerged in parliament in the 10th assembly. It is tragic that in a time Nigeria is meant to be growing into leadership, its women population are rather edging them out,” the statement reads.
“We hereby demand that a woman must be considered as presiding officer in the federal house of representatives and all state assemblies with ranking members must consider women who are ranking in order to emerge as presiding officers and chair significant committees.
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“The women at the HoR are as follows; Beni Lar (PDP/Plateau), Khadijat Abba-Ibrahim (APC/Yobe), Zainab Gimba (APC/Borno), Blessing Onuh (APC/Benue), Boma Goodhead (PDP/Rivers), Aisha Dukku (APC/Gombe), Adewunmi Onanuga (APC/Ogun), Tolulope Akande- Shadipe ( APC/Oyo, Taiwo Oluga (APC/Osun) and Miriam Onuoha (APC/Imo).
“However, it is only Rt. Hon Princess Miriam Onuoha that has declared and thrown her hat in the race for speakership of the house of representatives and Nigerian women are solidly behind her and other women at the state assemblies who are also ranking for presiding offices.”
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