Why Senate May Not Reconsider Gender Bills – Abaribe

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Tuesday, March 15th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Eyinnaya Abaribe, minority leader of the Senate, has stated that the Senate may not go back to the gender bill it earlier rejected.
Abaribe disclosed this on Monday on 90MinutesAfrica, an online interview program, anchored by Rudolf Okonkwo and Chido Onumah.
African Examiner recalls that lawmakers, on March 1, rejected a bill seeking to provide special seats for women in the national and state houses of assembly.
The lawmakers also rejected the bill which was set to give a quota for women on appointments.
This development sparked reactions as women protested calling for a reconsideration of the bills.
Reacting to this development, on Monday, Abaribe stated that there is no provision for the bills in the Senate schedule for the remainder of its tenure and that “the senate is not reconsidering revisiting the bill”.
Abaribe stated that even if the bills were to be reconsidered, they would have to be reintroduced as fresh bills, saying that the political and electioneering activities ahead of the 2023 elections would make the process tedious to achieve as “senators may not pay attention to the bills as they would be engrossed in ensuring their survival in the political field”.
He, however, disclosed that there was a glimmer of hope if both chambers of the national assembly decided to fast-track the process.
He also disclosed how the gender bills were “debated, voted and agreed” during the committee sessions.
“The members of the committee came from all parts of the country. So, after agreeing on the gender bills at the committee level we thought they would be passed easily on the floor of the Senate without too much problem,” he said.