Yiaga Africa Rejects Bill Mandating Compulsory Voting

A prominent civic organisation, Yiaga Africa, has strongly opposed a bill before the National Assembly seeking to enforce compulsory voting with a six-month jail term for eligible voters who fail to participate in elections.

The bill aims to tackle Nigeria’s persistently low voter turnout, which hit a historic low of 27.1% in the 2023 general elections, making the country Africa’s largest democracy with the lowest electoral participation.

In a statement on Friday by its Executive Director, Samson Itodo, Yiaga Africa described the bill’s punitive approach as “draconian” and a violation of fundamental rights guaranteed by Nigeria’s constitution and international human rights law.

“Abstaining from voting is a legitimate form of political expression,” Itodo said, arguing that the bill undermines democratic freedom by imposing sanctions on non-voters.

Nigeria’s voter turnout has seen significant fluctuations over the years. From 34.6% in 1979, it peaked at 69.1% in 2003 but plummeted to 27.1% in 2023, reflecting growing voter apathy driven by distrust in the electoral process and governance failures.

Itodo criticised the bill for failing to address the root causes of low turnout, such as election manipulation, lack of transparency, and systemic barriers to participation.

Instead of compulsory voting, Yiaga Africa charged lawmakers to focus on electoral reforms, including mandatory electronic transmission of results, diaspora voting, and greater transparency in election management.

“Voter apathy cannot be solved by punishment,” Itodo said. “It requires trust, electoral justice, and accountability.”