“In Australia, it is an offence not to vote in any election. There are some incentives that you will be denied for not voting.”
A bill mandating voting for all eligible Nigerians passed second reading in the House of Representatives following a heated debate on Thursday. Sponsored by House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and supported by Daniel Asama Ago, the bill proposes an amendment to the Electoral Act, 2002, to enforce voting in all national and state elections.
Ago argued that mandatory voting could “reduce the influence of vote buying, strengthen democracy, and foster political awareness.” Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kanu backed the proposal, citing Australia’s model. “In Australia, it is an offence not to vote in any election,” he said. “There are some incentives that you will be denied for not voting.”
However, PDP lawmaker Awaji-Inombek Abiante raised concerns, questioning the lack of clear incentives for Nigerian voters. “What are the incentives that would be denied to citizens?” he asked. “Voting should be free,” Abiante concluded.