“Let us not put something on nothing. If citizens have lost confidence in the electoral system, there is a lot of work to be done,” PDP lawmaker.
A bill seeking to make voting mandatory for eligible Nigerians has passed second reading in the House of Representatives, aiming to curb voter apathy and boost civic participation.
The House of Representatives has taken a significant step toward making voting mandatory for Nigerians of eligible age, as a bill to amend the Electoral Act 2022 passed second reading on Thursday.
The bill, sponsored by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Daniel Ago, seeks to address voter apathy by compelling citizens to participate in elections.
Leading the debate, Ago said the amendment would “encourage citizens’ participation in the electoral process,” noting that low voter turnout remains a major challenge to Nigeria’s democracy.
However, Mark Esset, a Peoples Democratic Party member from Akwa Ibom, opposed the bill’s approach. “Let us not put something on nothing. If citizens have lost confidence in the electoral system, there is a lot of work to be done,” he said.
“Many Nigerians do not vote during elections because they believe that their votes will not count. If we must make a law to make voting compulsory, we must also make another one to make their votes count.”