Oyebanji’s Wife Advocates for Reserved Seats for Women in Legislative Assemblies

Ekiti State First Lady, Olayemi Oyebanji, has called on Nigerians to support the Reserved Seat for Women Bill, aimed at boosting female representation in the national and state legislatures.

Speaking at a conference in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, Oyebanji, represented by Deputy Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Bolaji Egbeyemi-Ayegbaju, emphasized that the ongoing constitutional reforms provide a critical opportunity to address gender imbalance and enshrine gender-responsive provisions in the law.

The event, organized by the Balm in Gilead Foundation for Sustainable Development in collaboration with the Ekiti State Ministry of Women Affairs, UN Women, and the Government of Canada, focused on building momentum for the bill, which seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to reserve special constituencies for women in the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly.

Declaring the conference open, Oyebanji urged participants to rally behind the bill, stating, “We cannot afford to waste this moment. We must come together to push for this significant step toward greater political representation for women.”

“We must move from advocacy to action. Gender quotas are not a favour, they are rights and a necessity for sustainable development. Let our voices today form a collective force that cannot be ignored. We are here on endorsement, we are here to support the cause of women.”

The First Lady noted that increased women’s representation can drive meaningful development, adding, “For example, in Ekiti State, including women in governance has led to positive outcomes, such as greater transparency, stronger community engagement, and more inclusive decision-making.”

“I must commend the governor, Biodun Oyebanji, for his giant steps that have made Ekiti State the state with the highest number of women in governance across the nation,” she said.

Ekiti State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Peju Babafemi, who expressed the ministry’s gladness to work with BIGIF on the project, said, “Women should be given the desired space in governance”.

Babafemi emphasized the importance of the Reserved Seat Bill, arguing that it is essential for creating space for women in leadership, stating, “Nobody can champion the cause of women like women. We are in a fight that we must win.”

Meanwhile, Oluwatumininu Akerele, Executive Director of the Balm in Gilead Foundation for Sustainable Development (BIGIF), described the gathering as a vital step toward “advancing and endorsing the Reserved Seat Bill,” a legislative effort she believes has the potential to transform Nigeria’s political landscape. She also praised those who support the vision of a more empowered future for Nigerian women.

The BIGIF boss, who described the Reserved Seat Bill as “a bold legislative tool that promotes this
agenda,” added, “Endorsing this Bill is endorsing justice. It is saying women deserve their rightful
place at the table where decisions about their lives are made.

“This Bill seeks to alter the longstanding narrative of exclusion and underrepresentation
that has marred our political system. By reserving seats for women in the national and
state Assemblies, we are not asking for handouts or charity – we are demanding fairness, equity, and a structure that reflects the rich diversity of Nigeria.

“The stark reality is that the continued underrepresentation – and sometimes outright exclusion of women in governance presents a future Nigeria should not and cannot be proud of.