The mandatory voting madness

Just when you think you have seen it all, our lawmakers have come up with a brilliant idea that would make even the most creative Nollywood scriptwriter green with envy.

A Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act, 2002 to make it mandatory for Nigerians of maturity age to vote in all national and state elections has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.

Let that sink in for a moment.

So these are the same lawmakers who have consistently failed to deliver on their basic legislative duties, the same ones who have turned the hallowed chambers into a circus of cross-carpeting and political gymnastics, and now they want to drag Nigerians kicking and screaming to polling units? The audacity is breathtaking.

Leading the debate, Representative Daniel Asama Ago argued that the bill would encourage citizens’ participation and reduce voter apathy. He believes mandatory voting can reduce the influence of vote buying. Really? Has the honourable member been living on the moon for the past decade?

The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, citing Australia as an example, believes this is a step in the right direction. I have news for the Deputy Speaker – Nigeria is not Australia. In Australia, when politicians make promises, they deliver. In Australia, the electoral system works. In Australia, citizens have confidence in their institutions. Can we say the same about Nigeria?

Instead of addressing the fundamental issues that make Nigerians lose faith in the electoral process, they want to force us to participate in what many consider a charade. It’s like forcing someone to attend a wedding where the bride and groom are already divorced.

Some lawmakers rightly argued that citizens have lost confidence in the voting system and questioned the authenticity of the voters’ register. Yet, instead of fixing these fundamental problems, they want to make it compulsory for us to endorse a broken system. This is like forcing passengers to board a rickety plane while ignoring the fact that the engines are faulty.

The questions we should be asking are obvious. Can the lawmakers propose a bill to make it mandatory that if a politician fails to deliver his campaign promises within six months, he should be impeached?

Can they make laws to reduce the number of out-of-school children to the barest minimum? Can we make a law that once a lawmaker or governor defects, they lose their seat automatically?

These are the real issues, but our lawmakers prefer to focus on forcing Nigerians to validate their mediocrity at the ballot box.

Let’s be honest about what this bill really represents. It’s not about encouraging participation; it’s about legitimising a system that has consistently failed Nigerians. When you have over 20 million out-of-school children, when bandits are having a field day kidnapping citizens, when the economy is in shambles, and when basic infrastructure is nonexistent, forcing people to vote is not the solution.

The thinking behind this bill is fundamentally flawed. You cannot legislate patriotism or civic engagement. These things flow naturally when citizens see that their votes matter, when they witness positive changes in their communities, and when politicians actually deliver on their promises.

In countries where mandatory voting works, like Australia, the system is credible, transparent, and results-oriented. The politicians deliver on their promises, and citizens have confidence in the electoral process.

Here in Nigeria, we have a situation where politicians campaign with one agenda and govern with another. We have leaders who disappear for months without trace, only to resurface when elections are approaching.

The irony is not lost on me that the same lawmakers who are proposing this bill are products of an electoral system where voter turnout in some constituencies was below 20 percent.

If they were truly confident in their performance and the system’s integrity, wouldn’t citizens naturally flock to the polls?

Instead of this draconian approach, why don’t they focus on making the electoral process more credible? Why not work on ensuring that votes actually count? Why not address the issues of vote buying, ballot snatching, and electoral violence that keep citizens away from polling units?

I also find it amusing that they cited Australia as an example. In Australia, mandatory voting comes with a fine of about $20 for non-participation. What will be the penalty in Nigeria? Will they jail citizens who refuse to participate in what they consider a sham? Will they deny them access to government services? Or will this be another toothless law that exists only on paper?

The truth is, this bill is a distraction from the real issues. While Nigerians are grappling with insecurity, poverty, and unemployment, our lawmakers are busy thinking of how to force us to endorse their failures at the ballot box.

If our politicians want Nigerians to participate enthusiastically in elections, the solution is simple: deliver on your promises, build credible institutions, ensure that votes count, and give citizens something to vote for rather than just voting against the lesser evil.

The bottom line is this: you cannot force citizens to participate in democracy. Democracy is not just about voting; it’s about having choices, accountability, and seeing the impact of your vote. Until our lawmakers understand this fundamental principle, bills like this will continue to be solutions looking for problems.

Maybe it’s time for our lawmakers to face their own mandatory requirement – delivering on the mandate Nigerians gave them. Until then, this bill is nothing but a poorly written script in the ongoing comedy that is Nigerian politics.