Nigeria’s National Assembly has withdrawn a proposed bill that sought to make voting mandatory, following fierce opposition from legal and civil society groups.
The bill, which passed a second reading in parliament just ten days ago, proposed a six-month jail term or a ₦100,000 fine for eligible citizens who failed to vote.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas Tajudeen, a co-sponsor of the bill, announced its withdrawal after what he called “extensive consultations with a broad spectrum of stakeholders.”
Tajudeen defended the bill’s intent, stating it aimed to “bolster civic engagement and strengthen democracy by encouraging higher voter turnout.”
Nigeria has seen a sharp decline in voter participation, with only 27 percent turnout in the 2023 presidential elections—the lowest since the return to democracy in 1999.
That election saw Bola Tinubu emerge victorious with just 37 percent of the votes in a tightly contested race marked by public scepticism.
Citing international examples, the speaker pointed to countries like Australia, Belgium, and Brazil, where compulsory voting has yielded high participation.
However, Nigerian rights advocates fiercely rejected the proposal, labelling it unconstitutional and authoritarian.
“Democracy is not sustained by coercion,” said Nigerian Bar Association leader Mazi Afam Osigwe, warning that enforced voting undermines electoral freedom.
A civic rights organisation based in Abuja condemned the bill as a “gross violation of constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights.”
Legal experts argued that prosecuting millions of non-voters would be impractical and would only highlight deeper issues of political disillusionment and misgovernance.
Globally, fewer than 20 countries enforce compulsory voting, with Australia fining non-voters AU$20—a policy credited for keeping turnout above 90 percent.
Nigeria’s move to withdraw the bill is being hailed as a win for democratic principles over legislative pressure.