35% affirmative action: S/south women storm constitutional review centre

The women said the 35 per cent Affirmative Action should be included in the constitutional review.

The women mobilised from various umbrellas, including the 100% Lobby Women for Democracy and the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) among others.

They said Nigeria's unity would depend largely on the outcome of the constitutional review.

The women leader, Dr Mrs Joyce Ogwuezi, who said an all-inclusive spirit must be registered in the review, stated that certain sections of the constitution must be expunged to put a stop to gender inequality.

Dr. Ogwuezi said sections 48/49 must be reviewed to accommodate additional senatorial districts at the National Assembly for all states to be represented by a woman.

She said: "Since 2015, the 35 per cent benchmark for the affirmative action for women in politics drastically dropped below 10 per cent.

"The envisaged new constitution must truly reflect the yearnings and aspirations of the Nigerian women for their representation in politics."

Also speaking, the president of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Prof. Ben Ogele Okaba, supported by Prof. Sam Ukala, who spoke for Delta, told the Constitutional Review Committee, led by Senators James Manager (Delta), Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta), Seriaki Dickson (Bayelsa), Biobarakuma Degi (Bayelsa), Matthew Urhoghide (Edo), Francis Alimikhena (Edo) and Moses Clopas (Bayelsa), that the 1999 constitution was designed to shortchange the oil producing states of the Niger Delta region.