By Anwar Usman
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajuddeen Abbas has withdrawn a bill aimed aimed at making voting compulsory for all eligible Nigerians.
The bill, which he co-sponsored with Daniel Asama Ago, was meant to change the Electoral Act 2022 to encourage more people to vote and strengthen democracy.
In a statement on Monday, signed by the media aide to the speaker, Musa Krishi, said the decision to pull the bill came after speaking with many people and groups across the country.
“From the start, the goal was to get more people involved in elections and strengthen democracy by boosting voter turnout,” the statement said.
The bill had passed second reading in the House on Thursday but it sparked debate.
Some people supported it, saying it would lead to better voter turnout while others said it would take away personal freedom and would be hard to enforce in a country as diverse as Nigeria.
The speaker, pointed out that countries like Australia, Belgium, and Brazil have high voter turnout thanks to compulsory voting, but stressed that Nigeria must find its own way that suits its people.
Abbas further stated that “Lawmaking is about serving the people, and any new law must respect personal freedom”.
Instead of forcing people to vote, he said the government would look for another alternative that’ll encourage voting, especially among young people and those voting for the first time.
“This withdrawal gives us time to talk more about how to build a culture of voluntary voting that supports our democracy and respects citizens’ rights,” he added.
Many Nigerians had criticized the bill, urging leaders to focus on solving problems like election violence, lack of trust in the system, and poor planning on election days, issues that stop people from voting.