Compulsory Voting Bill Sparks Outrage as Reps Target 18+ Nigerians

Compulsory Voting Bill Sparks Outrage as Reps Target 18+ Nigerians

Compulsory voting in Nigeria may soon become law if a proposed bill by the House of Representatives passes all legislative stages. The bill, now at its second reading, seeks to make it mandatory for every Nigerian aged 18 and above to vote in national elections.

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and lawmaker Daniel Ago co-sponsored the bill. They said it is meant to fight voter apathy, a growing issue that threatens the country’s democratic process.

During the plenary debate, Mr Ago passionately defended the bill. He said too many Nigerians stay away from polling booths during elections, which weakens democracy. According to him, “We must act now to protect our system. A democracy without voters is not a true democracy.”

While some lawmakers backed the bill as a way to increase civic participation, others raised strong objections.

Mark Esset, a lawmaker from Akwa Ibom representing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), pushed back. He warned that simply forcing people to vote wouldn’t clean up the electoral system. “Let us not put something on nothing,” Mr Esset said. “Many Nigerians do not vote during elections because they believe that their votes will not count. If we must make a law to make voting compulsory, we must also make another one to make their votes count.”

He added that the focus should be on fixing the core issues—such as electoral fraud, vote buying, and political interference. Without these changes, he argued, people would remain uninterested or even afraid to vote, whether it’s compulsory or not.

Civic groups have also voiced concern. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has openly rejected the bill. In a recent statement, the organisation urged lawmakers to drop the proposal. They warned that forcing citizens to vote under legal threat would hurt Nigeria’s democratic principles.

SERAP called on lawmakers to instead invest energy in real reforms—like removing legal immunity for governors found guilty of manipulating elections. The group made it clear: if the bill becomes law, they would challenge it in court.

They insisted democracy must run on free choice, not fear of punishment. “Democracy should be built on trust, transparency, and freedom—not threats,” a SERAP official said.

Critics also pointed out that the bill lacks key details. For instance, it doesn’t explain how enforcement would work. Would there be penalties for those who fail to vote? Would these penalties be fair? Would they affect the poor more than the wealthy?

Even among supporters of electoral reform, there is confusion over how the government plans to educate voters and make voting safe and accessible. Several advocacy groups have said that many people don’t vote because polling units are too far or too dangerous to reach.

They also say Nigeria needs to improve its vote counting systems and protect voters from harassment. “No one wants to risk their life to cast a ballot,” said a Lagos-based civic educator.

Others argue that the bill puts the cart before the horse. They say the country must first fix the broken trust between the people and the electoral system. Without trust, they warn, compulsory voting could lead to fake compliance or even mass boycotts.

This controversy over compulsory voting came just days after the House rejected a separate bill seeking to rotate the presidency across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones. Lawmakers voted down that proposal, saying it would limit Nigerians’ right to run for public office.

In the middle of all this, Barrister Oladotun Hassan, a legal expert, has also stirred public debate. He recently urged the National Assembly to divide Nigeria into 12 new regions. He believes this would help address ethnic tensions and promote better governance. Hassan says Nigeria’s current structure ignores the fact that the country is home to over 400 ethnic groups.

While that idea remains just a suggestion, it shows how lawmakers and citizens are struggling to reshape Nigeria’s political future. Whether it’s about where leaders come from or whether every citizen should vote, the common thread is clear: many Nigerians feel disconnected from a system that claims to represent them.

For now, the compulsory voting bill still has a long way to go. It must pass third reading and survive Senate scrutiny before becoming law. Until then, the debate continues in the chambers of power and on the streets—where real democracy either lives or dies.