Godwin Obaseki, the governor of Edo state, has said that the national assembly squandered a “golden opportunity” to reshape the country’s political landscape by rejecting five proposals aimed at bringing women into politics and government.
On Wednesday, both chambers of the national assembly voted on bills to change the constitution.
During the legislative process, none of the gender bills passed.
In a statement, Obaseki described the national assembly’s action as “painful and unconscionable”.
“The recent developments at the national assembly, in which five bills seeking affirmative action and inclusion for women were vehemently shut down by members, is most regrettably and unsettling,” the governor said.
“This is because the legislature is the bastion of democracy and a critical platform for fair representation and inclusion in government.
“It is therefore painful and unconscionable that these bills which provide a fillip for accommodating women who make up about 50 percent of the voting population, are subjected to such a sorry fate.
