- Safiu Kehinde
The Executive Director of Yiaga Africa and Convener of #NotTooYoungtoRun movement, Samson Itodo, has faulted the House of Representatives’ proposed bill to mandate voting for eligible voters in Nigeria.
In said effort to promote active participation in election, the green chamber had yesterday passed the bill through the second reading.
The provisions of the bill had however generated mixed reactions especially on its six months imprisonment punishment for eligible voters who failed to vote.
Speaking on Channels TV Politics Today programme on Thursday, Itodo maintained that Nigeria is not the first country to mandate voting as he cited Australia as an example.
He also admitted to the low turn up of voters during election.
However, the Yiaga boss noted that compelling and also imposing six months jail term undermined the freedom to participate in election.
In what he described as draconian, Itodo maintained that voters cannot be compelled as non-participation is another form of political participation
“I think it is important to note that Nigeria is not the first country that practices compulsory voting. Australia practices compulsory voting. I understand the rational behind that proposed bill which is to encourage turnout in election because Nigeria has the lowest turnout for election in the whole of Africa.
“Even though we have the highest number of registered voters, we have the lowest turn out. 25 percent in the last election is abysmally poor.
“I understand the rational but I think compelling and also imposing six months jail term is draconian in every respect and it undermined the freedom to participate in the electoral process. I think that bill totally amounts to legislative overdue.” He said.
While ruling out the possibility of passing the bill into law, Itodo advised the National Assembly to work towards ensuring that electorates votes count during election as this will motivate them to participate in subsequent ones.
He also held that voters can be motivated through politicians’ fulfilment of their electoral promises.
“I don’t think it will pass. We cannot compel our participation because not participating is another form of political participation and we need to recognize that.
“If the National Assembly in its wisdom is seeking ways to enforce and ensure turnout in a election, then we need to ensure that votes count. Because when people feel that votes count in an election, they will show up.
“Secondly, if people when are elected should deliver good governance, so that when people reconcile the state of their livelihood and their participation in election, they will turn up to cast their votes subsequently.
“But when people stand in long queues and vote for people in office and they don’t solve the problem that 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 problem that they vote them into power to solve.
“Or when they are given that same power in trust for their people, they abuse that same power and use it to oppress the people.” He added.