Bill to Make Voting Compulsory Passes Second Reading in House of Representatives
A bill seeking to make voting compulsory for all Nigerians who have reached the legal voting age has passed second reading in the House of Representatives.
The bill, sponsored by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Daniel Ago, aims to address the apparent political apathy in the country. During the last general elections, only 26.72 percent voter turnout was recorded in the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Also Read: Two NNPP Lawmakers Join APC Amid Ongoing Shake-Up in House of Reps
However, the bill, when it was read during Thurday’s plenary session, faced opposition from Mark Esset, a House member representing Uyo/Uruan/Ibesikpo/Nsit Atai Federal Constituency, who argued that such a law, if enacted, would not address the root causes of voter apathy among Nigerians.
“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.
He added: “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.”
