Yiaga Africa, a well-known civic organization, has voiced strong opposition to a proposed bill in the National Assembly that seeks to make voting compulsory, with a penalty of a six-month jail term for eligible voters who fail to participate in elections.
The bill is intended to address Nigeria’s consistently low voter turnout, which reached a record low of 27.1% in the 2023 general elections, making Nigeria, despite being Africa’s largest democracy, the country with the lowest electoral participation rate on the continent.
In a statement released on Friday by its Executive Director, Samson Itodo, Yiaga Africa described the bill’s punitive measures as “draconian” and a violation of fundamental rights protected by Nigeria’s constitution and international human rights law.
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“Abstaining from voting is a legitimate form of political expression,” Itodo stated, arguing that the bill infringes upon democratic freedom by penalizing those who choose not to vote.
Nigeria’s voter turnout has fluctuated significantly over the years, starting at 34.6% in 1979, peaking at 69.1% in 2003, but then sharply declining to 27.1% in 2023.
This trend reflects increasing voter apathy driven by a lack of trust in the electoral process and failures in governance.
Itodo criticized the bill for not tackling the underlying reasons for low turnout, such as election manipulation, lack of transparency, and systemic obstacles to participation.
Instead of enforcing compulsory voting, Yiaga Africa urged lawmakers to concentrate on electoral reforms, including mandatory electronic transmission of results, diaspora voting, and greater transparency in the management of elections.
“Voter apathy cannot be solved by punishment,” Itodo asserted. “It requires trust, electoral justice, and accountability.”
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