Controversial Mandatory Voting Bill Passes Second Reading in House of Reps

In a move to tackle Nigeria’s longstanding issue of voter apathy, the House of Representatives in February introduced a Bill that will make voting mandatory for all eligible citizens in National and State elections, proposing imposing a maximum of six months imprisonment or a fine of no more than N100,000 for Nigerians of voting age, who failed to vote during elections. The bill has now passed its second reading.

The Bill which is titled “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act 2022 to Make It Mandatory for All Nigerians of Majority Age to Vote in All National and State Elections and for Related Matters,” was sponsored by the Speaker of the House, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and was presented at the plenary on the 15th of May by the co-sponsor of the bill and representative of the Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency, Hon. Daniel Asama.

During plenary, Asama stated that the proposed legislation aims to enhance democratic participation by mandating eligible Nigerians to vote during elections.
“Nigeria has consistently recorded low turnout rates for elections. For instance, in the 2023 general elections, less than 30% of the general voters participated. This strains the legitimacy of elections, government and weakens democratic institutions. By making voting a legal obligation, we will instill in the citizens a sense of civic duty and shared responsibility in the governance process.”

He highlighted other objectives of the bill, including:

• Amending the Electoral Act, 2022, to introduce compulsory voting for all citizens aged 18 and above.
• Providing a legal framework for enforcing mandatory voting, including appropriate sanctions for unjustified failure to vote and valid grounds for exemption such as illness, religious objection, or residency outside the country.
• Empowering the Independent National Electoral Commission to develop systems for tracking voter compliance and managing exemption requests without infringing on fundamental rights.
• Promoting electoral education and awareness to deepen democratic participation.

However, support for this Bill is far from unanimous and opposition lawmakers (members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)), Mark Esset (Akwa Ibom) and Awaji-Inombek Abiante (Rivers) have questioned the practicality and fairness of enforcing compulsory voting, in a country where electoral outcomes are frequently disputed and where the integrity of the voter register still remains in doubt.

Abiante said, “It is not good enough to have it in our books that voting is compulsory. How will it be enforced? I agree that every adult man and woman should participate in deciding their leaders, but there are certain questions we need to ask. What are the incentives to make them go out and vote? Have they been assured of their security? We are talking of a country where the name Mike Tyson is still on the voter register. Do we have an authentic voter register?”

Esset added, “We are trying to put something on nothing. When citizens have lost confidence in voting, there is a lot of work to be done. If we make a law to make voting compulsory, we should make another law to make the votes count.”

Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, Tijani Ghali (NNPP, Kano), and Amadi Akarachi (APC, Imo) reinforced their support for the Bill, arguing that it is a necessary step to building a more politically engaged and accountable society.
According to Akarachi, “One of those responsibilities …is to be involved in our democratic process. The Bill before us is not saying it is mandatory for a Nigerian to vote either A or B, it is simply saying you must be counted in every election.”

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Electoral Matters for further legislative action.