The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas after receiving much backlash from civil society organizations and activists on the controversial compulsory voting bill has decided to withdraw the bill from the hallow chamber. CSOs like CISLAC and Yiaga Africa and several vocal legal experts had largely described the bill as undemocratic and impractical in a society like Nigeria that has a fundamental human right of choice are of paramount importance.
The bill was targeted to amend the 2022 Electoral Act to impose a six-month jail term or a fine of N100,000 on any registered voter who fails to turn out to cast their vote during electioneering.
The bill, co-sponsored by Abbas and Daniel Asama Ago, had passed second reading on May 15. But the Speaker announced its withdrawal on Sunday night in a statement through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi.
The statement partly reads, “From the outset, the bill was introduced with the best of intentions… Nevertheless, the Speaker acknowledges that lawmaking is ultimately about the people it serves and that any reform must respect individual freedoms and public sentiment”.
Instead, the statement also emphasized that Abbas would focus on “positive incentives and innovative approaches” to encourage civil engagement without resorting to compulsion.
