A proposed law to make voting mandatory in Nigeria has sparked widespread opposition, with critics calling it repressive and unconstitutional.
The bill, currently in the National Assembly, proposes a six-month jail term, a ₦100,000 fine, or both for eligible voters who fail to participate in national and state elections.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to withdraw the bill immediately. Instead, the group called for amendments to remove immunity for governors and their deputies involved in electoral offenses, as well as prohibiting political party members from being appointed as Resident Electoral Commissioners.
SERAP argues that forcing citizens to vote contradicts democratic principles and human rights, insisting that voter apathy should be tackled through electoral reforms, not coercion. The group has threatened legal action if the bill is passed into law.
