Bill to ‘punish’ Nigerians for not voting scales second reading at House of Reps

15 May 2025 at 22:39The bill’s proponents argued that voter apathy can be eradicated if the legislation is passed into law.Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abbas. [Facebook]A bill proposing punitive measures for qualified Nigerians who refuse to vote has passed second reading at the House of Representatives after an extensive debate.

Sponsored by House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and supported by Daniel Asama Ago, the bill seeks to amend the Electoral Act, 2002, to make it mandatory for Nigerians of voting age to vote in all national and state elections.

Ago, who led the debate during plenary on Thursday, May 15, 2025, said the proposed legislation aimed to incentivise citizens who participate in the electoral process as an antidote to voter apathy during recent elections.

If passed into law, the lawmaker, who represents Bassa/Jos North under the Labour Party, said mandatory voting can also reduce the influence of vote buying, strengthen democracy by improving representation, and foster a more politically aware country.

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Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kanu supported the bill, saying citizens must perform certain civic responsibilities.

Referencing Australia, where voting is compulsory, Kanu said it’s a crime not to vote, adding that the policy has birthed a stable and inclusive governance in the country.

“In Australia, it is an offence not to vote in any election. There are some incentives that you will be denied for not voting,” he said.

He further argued that Nigerians should be part of the decision-making in elections.

However, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker from Rivers state, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, countered Kanu’s submission, saying there are no incentives for Nigerians to support a compulsory voting law.

He cited the Deputy Speaker’s argument and asked what incentives citizens would be denied if they did not vote.

“What are the incentives that would be denied to citizens?” he asked. “Voting should be free,” Abiante added.

“Who will provide the logistics for Nigerians abroad to come home and vote?” the Rivers lawmaker further asked, while expressing concerns about the integrity of the voter register.

Similarly, Mark Esset, an Akwa Ibom state lawmaker who opposed the bill, argued that the House shouldn’t enact a compulsory voting law when citizens have “lost confidence” in the voting process.

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“It is a good bill, but we are trying to build something on nothing. While we want to make voting compulsory, there should also be a law to make voting count,” he said.

When the Speaker eventually put the bill to a vote, the “ayes” were louder than the “nays.”

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