By Ghazali Ibrahim 
A bill seeking to make voting compulsory for eligible Nigerians and proposing penalties for non-compliance has scaled second reading at the House of Representatives.
The proposed legislation, titled ‘Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act 2022 to Make it Mandatory for all Nigerians of Majority Age to Vote in all National and State Elections and for Related Matters’, was sponsored by the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas.
During Thursday’s plenary, lawmakers engaged in an extensive debate on the bill, which ultimately passed the second reading stage.
If enacted, the bill would impose a fine of up to N100,000 or a jail term of up to six months on any Nigerian of voting age who fails to participate in elections.
Currently, Nigeria’s electoral laws including the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2022 grant citizens the right to vote upon reaching the age of 18.
However, there is no legal compulsion to exercise that right, and no penalties are imposed on those who abstain from voting.
This new bill aims to redefine that framework by shifting voting from a right to a mandatory civic duty.
Supporters argue that compulsory voting would strengthen Nigeria’s democratic culture and improve voter turnout.
As the bill moves to the committee stage for further scrutiny, public debate is expected to intensify over the appropriateness and feasibility of penalizing citizens for non-participation in elections.
