JUST IN: House of Reps moves to make voting mandatory for all Nigerians
JUST IN: House of Reps moves to make voting mandatory for all Nigerians
A bill seeking to amend the Electoral Act 2022 to mandate compulsory voting for eligible Nigerians has passed second reading in the House of Representatives.
The proposed legislation is sponsored by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and lawmaker Daniel Ago.
Leading the debate during plenary on Thursday, Ago said the bill aimed to encourage citizens’ participation in the electoral process, noting that voter apathy during elections would be addressed if the bill scales legislative scrutiny.
Although the bill passed second reading, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party from Akwa Ibom State, Mark Esset, said enacting a law to make voting compulsory is not enough to sanitise the electoral system.
He cautioned against enforcing mandatory voting without first addressing the underlying issues in the electoral system.
“Let us not build something on nothing,” he said, stressing that many citizens have lost faith in the process. “A major reason why Nigerians choose not to vote is because they feel their votes don’t count. Before we can compel people to vote through legislation, we must first restore their confidence by ensuring electoral transparency and credibility.”
He emphasized that making voting compulsory must go hand in hand with reforms that guarantee every vote truly matters.
