Samson Itodo, executive director of YIAGA Africa
Yiaga Africa has commended Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, for withdrawing the bill seeking to make voting compulsory for eligible Nigerians.
The bill was co-sponsored by Abbas and Daniel Ago, lawmaker representing Bassa/Jos north federal constituency of Plateau state.
It proposed a six-month jail term or a fine of N100,000 for eligible voters who fail to participate in elections.
However, the bill was strongly criticised by a broad spectrum of Nigerians, including civil society organisations (CSOs) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
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In a statement on Monday, Samson Itodo, executive director of Yiaga, said the bill’s withdrawal “demonstrates responsive legislative leadership and respect for the will of the people”.
He said although the bill was introduced to reverse Nigeria’s historically low voter turnout, making voting a legal obligation punishable by sanctions would have amounted to “criminalising a constitutionally guaranteed right and undermining the very foundations of our democracy”.
Itodo implored the national assembly to prioritise electoral reforms like mandatory electronic transmission of election results; introduction of early voting for election officials, journalists, security personnel, and accredited observers; legal timelines for concluding election petitions before the swearing-in of elected officials; and the establishment of an electoral offences commission.
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He said these would rebuild public trust, improve election integrity, and remove structural and systemic barriers to participation.
“Yiaga Africa remains committed to engaging with the National Assembly to ensure the passage of electoral amendments that protect citizens’ rights, and uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process,” the statement reads.
