The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has officially withdrawn the contentious Compulsory Voting Bill, which sought to amend the Electoral Act 2022 to make voting mandatory for all eligible Nigerians.
This announcement was made public on Monday through a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi.
According to the statement, Speaker Abbas emphasized that the decision follows “extensive consultations with a broad spectrum of stakeholders.” He co-sponsored the bill alongside Hon. Daniel Adama Ago with the primary goal of “bolstering civic engagement and strengthening our democracy by encouraging higher voter turnout.”
The statement further highlighted that compulsory voting has been successfully implemented in countries such as Australia, Belgium, and Brazil, where participation rates consistently exceed 90 percent. Other nations like Argentina and Singapore have also adopted similar measures to enhance inclusivity in their electoral processes.
However, Speaker Abbas acknowledged the delicate balance between promoting voter participation and respecting individual freedoms. He stated, “lawmaking is ultimately about the people and that any reform must respect individual freedoms and public sentiment.” Rather than enforcing mandatory voting, he expressed a commitment to exploring “positive incentives and innovative approaches that will make voting more attractive and accessible to all Nigerians.”
He concluded by saying, “This withdrawal will allow time for further dialogue on how best to cultivate a culture of voluntary participation that honours both our democratic ideals and the rights of our citizens.”
