The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has officially withdrawn a proposed bill that sought to make voting compulsory for all eligible Nigerians.
The decision follows widespread public debate and feedback from stakeholders across the country, according to a statement released on Monday by his media aide, Musa Krishi.
The bill, co-sponsored by Abbas and Hon. Daniel Asama Ago, aimed to amend the Electoral Act 2022 to increase voter participation and deepen Nigeria’s democratic process.
It passed second reading in the House last Thursday but drew mixed reactions from the public, lawmakers, and civil society groups.
“From the start, the goal was to get more people involved in elections and strengthen democracy by boosting voter turnout,” the statement read.
While some observers praised the bill as a progressive move to address Nigeria’s consistently low voter turnout, others raised concerns about its enforceability and implications for individual freedom.
Critics also questioned whether mandatory voting would address the core issues discouraging electoral participation, such as insecurity, distrust in the process, and logistical failures.
Speaker Abbas acknowledged that other countries with compulsory voting laws—such as Australia, Belgium and Brazil—have achieved higher voter turnout. However, he stressed the need for Nigeria to adopt a strategy that aligns with its unique social and political landscape.
“Lawmaking is about serving the people, and any new law must respect personal freedom,” Abbas stated.
He added that, moving forward, the government would focus on voluntary strategies to improve civic participation, particularly targeting young voters and first-time participants in the electoral process.
“This withdrawal gives us time to talk more about how to build a culture of voluntary voting that supports our democracy and respects citizens’ rights,” the Speaker noted.
Many Nigerians had called on the National Assembly to shift its focus to addressing more urgent electoral challenges, including violence at polling units, voter suppression, manipulation of results and the poor handling of logistics by the electoral body. These, according to critics, are the real barriers to mass voter engagement in the country.
Analysts suggest that voter education, reforms to boost transparency and trust in the electoral commission and enhanced security during elections are more sustainable paths toward improving turnout than mandating participation.
With the withdrawal of the bill, the House leadership is expected to open further consultations on electoral reform and civic engagement strategies ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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