Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, has withdrawn a controversial bill that sought to make voting compulsory for all eligible citizens, a move that marks a dramatic climbdown in the face of widespread public criticism.
The bill, co-sponsored by Abbas and Daniel Asama Ago, the lawmaker representing Bassa/Jos North federal constituency in Plateau State, had already passed a second reading in the green chamber on May 15.
The proposed legislation aimed to amend the Electoral Act 2022 by criminalizing voter apathy and compelling participation through fines and jail time. Specifically, it proposed a six-month jail sentence or a fine of N100,000 for eligible voters who failed to cast their ballots during elections.
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According to Ago, the legislation was intended to address Nigeria’s chronic voter apathy, citing the dismal turnout figures recorded in recent elections. He argued that compulsory voting would not only enhance civic engagement and democratic representation but also curb vote-buying by increasing the voter pool. Ago’s position, he said, was based on the principle that democracy is weakened when only a fraction of the population decides the fate of the entire nation.
However, those lofty intentions met a wall of public resistance, with critics arguing that the bill missed the point entirely.
Why the Bill Collapsed
The core of the backlash, which ultimately forced the withdrawal of the bill, was rooted not in the rejection of civic responsibility, but in widespread frustration with the state of Nigeria’s electoral process. Many Nigerians, including civil society organizations (CSOs), lawyers, and political commentators, pointed out that voter apathy is not the disease — it is a symptom of a deeper institutional crisis.
They note that in a country where rigging, ballot snatching, voter intimidation, falsification of results, and widespread irregularities routinely mar elections, compelling citizens to vote under threat of punishment seemed not just misplaced, but absurd.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) was among the most vocal opponents of the bill, calling it “regressive” and in direct conflict with constitutional protections.
“The NBA finds it unacceptable that a democratic government would seek to criminalize non-participation in an electoral process marred by voter apathy, mistrust, insecurity, and systemic failures. Instead of fixing the conditions that discourage voter turnout, such as electoral violence, vote buying, among others, the state is attempting to force participation through punitive legislation,” the association said, warning that coercion undermines the principles of a free and fair democratic process.
Civil society groups and rights activists similarly noted that instead of criminalizing abstention, the National Assembly should focus its energy on electoral reforms that guarantee that every vote counts. These groups cited the 2023 general elections, where over 93 million people were registered to vote, but less than 30% actually turned out, as a glaring example of the credibility gap plaguing Nigeria’s democracy.
Many of those who stayed away in 2023 did so out of despair. Despite technological improvements like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and promises of real-time result transmission, the elections were still widely criticized for lacking transparency. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to upload results as promised, and courts later decided several outcomes, further damaging public trust in the process.
In that context, it is believed that forcing people to vote felt not like empowerment, but like punishment.
Speaker Abbas Walks Back
In a statement issued Monday by his spokesperson Musa Krishi, Speaker Abbas said the bill was being withdrawn after “extensive consultations with a broad spectrum of stakeholders.” He said the original intention of the bill was noble — to bolster democracy by encouraging mass participation — and drew examples from countries like Australia, Belgium, and Brazil, where compulsory voting laws have pushed turnout rates above 90%.
“Nevertheless, the Speaker acknowledges that lawmaking is ultimately about the people it serves and that any reform must respect individual freedoms and public sentiment,” the statement read.
Abbas added that instead of forcing participation, the National Assembly would now explore “positive incentives and innovative approaches” to make voting more appealing and accessible. The decision to pull the bill, he said, would open space for “further dialogue” on how to encourage voluntary civic participation in a way that aligns with Nigeria’s democratic values.
A System Many Believe is Already Rigged
Underlying this entire debate is the backdrop of the notion that in Nigeria, elections are not always won by the people’s vote.
It’s a sentiment echoed across the country, in public discourse, social media commentary, and community forums — that elections often reflect the will of those who can manipulate the system, not the will of the people.
Even the introduction of the Electoral Act 2022, touted as a major reform, has failed to guarantee credible outcomes. The use of technology, though promising in theory, has been undermined by human interference and institutional failures. Political thuggery, vote suppression, and the widespread belief that the courts, rather than voters, decide the outcome of elections have all contributed to an erosion of faith.
Analysts say the National Assembly should now turn its attention to enforcing existing electoral laws, strengthening the independence of INEC, sanitizing political financing, and punishing electoral offenders.