The House of Representatives has rejected a bill to reserve special seats for women at national and state houses of assembly.

This followed the rejection of the bill at the electronic voting on the amendment of the 1999 Constitution on Tuesday in Abuja. 

81 lawmakers voted in favour of the bill, while 208 voted against it and 13 members abstained from voting.

Present at the voting was Dolapo Osinbajo, the wife of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who tried to lobby for the adoption of the bill by the lawmakers.

Mrs Osinbajo was accompanied by the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen. 

The lawmakers also rejected a bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the 1999 constitution to provide for affirmative action for women in political party administration.

224 lawmakers voted in favour of the bill, falling short of the required 240 votes needed for it to pass. 

But the House via a voice vote adopted a bill seeking for a minimum percentage of women in either ministerial or commissioner appointment.

This, however, was not without the intervention of Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and some lawmakers who pleaded with their colleagues to pass the bill. 

(NAN)