The Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, has cautioned against the approach to addressing low voter turnout, stating that voter apathy cannot be solved through punishment.
Itodo made the assertion in response to a bill seeking to amend the Electoral Act 2022 to make voting mandatory for all eligible Nigerians which passed second reading in the House of Representatives on Thursday.
The bill, jointly sponsored by Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas and Daniel Ago, was presented during Thursday’s plenary.
He acknowledged that Nigeria will not be the first to practice compulsory voting and he noted that the rationale behind the scheme is to encourage turnout at elections
However, he also stated that Nigeria has the lowest turn out of voters in Africa despite having the highest number of registered voters in our voters register, with a 25% record in the last general election.
According to Itodo, compelling and imposing 6 months jail term is draconian in every respect and undermines the freedom to participate in the electoral process.
He stated that the proposed bill amounts to a legislative overkill and is unlikely to pass
According to Itodo, choosing not to vote is also a form of political expression that must be respected in any democratic society.
Instead of punitive measures, Itodo urged the National Assembly to focus on building trust in the electoral system. “If people believe their votes will count, they will show up,” he said.
He also emphasized the importance of good governance, noting that elected officials must address the needs of the people who vote them into office.
Itodo concluded that meaningful reform must address both electoral credibility and governance to genuinely boost voter turnout.
“It’s important to know that Nigeria will not be the first country that practices compulsory voting. Australia practices compulsory voting.
“I understand the rationale behind the scheme which is to encourage turnout at elections because Nigeria has the lowest turn out of voters in Africa even though we have the highest number of registered voters in our voters register but we have the lowest turn out. 25% in the last election is abysmally poor.
“I think compelling and imposing 6 months jail term is draconian in every respect and undermines the freedom to participate in the electoral process.
“I think that Bill totally amounts to legislative overkill. I don’t think that it will pass. We cannot compel participation because not participating is also another form of political participation, and we need to recognize that.
“If the National Assembly, in its wisdom, is seeking ways, you know, to enforce and ensure turnout in an election, then they will need to ensure that votes count. Because if people trust that their vote will count at elections, they will show up.
“Secondly, people who are elected in an in elections should deliver good governance, so that when people reconcile the state of their livelihood and their participation in elections, they will turn up to cast their vote subsequently.
“But when people stand in long queues, they vote for people into office, and when people get into office, they don’t solve problems that their voters ask them to solve.
“They are only interested in primitive accumulation of wealth. When that happens, people feel that voting is a waste of their time because leaders don’t solve the problems that they vote them into power to solve or when they are giving power in trust for the people, they abuse that power and use that same power to oppress the people. When that happens, people will have no reason why they should.”