A human rights lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, has asked President Bola Tinubu to act according to law which provides for 35 percent female representation in political appointments in the country.
He said complying with affirmative action was the democratic and legal thing to do as there is a subsisting court order on it.
Abubakar bemoaned Nigeria being behind countries like Gabon, Cape Verde, Sierra Leone and South Africa when it comes to gender balance in governance when it should be setting the pace for the rest of Africa.
A Federal High Court in Abuja had on April 6, 2022, in a landmark judgement based on a suit by a coalition of civil society, held that the federal government must implement the National Gender Policy by 35 per cent affirmative action as contained in sections 42,147 (3) and 14 (3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the National Gender Policy, 2006, in the governance of the country, among others.
“There wasn’t an attempt. you see after that particular judgment was passed down because it raised a lot of interest,” he said.