- Safiu Kehinde
The House of Representatives has withdrawn the bill seeking to make voting compulsory for eligible Nigerians.
NPO Reported that the lawmakers had proposed the bill which contained six-month imprisonment for defaulters in an effort to tackle poor turn out of voters during election.
The bill however came under public scrutiny as calls for the scrapping of the bill intensified
In the wake of criticism, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abass, announced the withdrawal of the bill.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the Special Adviser to the Speaker on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi.
The lawmaker held that the bill was scrapped after extensive consultations with a broad spectrum of stakeholders.
He however noted that the bill which he co-sponsored with the member representing Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency, Daniel Ago, was introduced with the “best of intentions”.
“From the outset, the bill was introduced with the best of intentions, which is to bolster civic engagement and strengthen our democracy by encouraging higher voter turnout.
“Compulsory voting has long been practised with notable success in countries such as Australia, Belgium, and Brazil, where it has helped sustain participation rates above 90 per cent, while nations like Argentina and Singapore have also implemented similar measures to foster inclusivity at the ballot box,” he said.
Tajudeen expressed his commitment to exploring positive incentives and innovative approaches that would make voting more attractive rather than compulsory voting.
“Nevertheless, the Speaker acknowledges that lawmaking is ultimately about the people it serves and that any reform must respect individual freedoms and public sentiment. Rather than compel participation, he is committed to exploring positive incentives and innovative approaches that will make voting more attractive and accessible to all Nigerians.
“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.” he added