NASS Proposes Mandatory Voting Bill with Jail-Term for Non-Compliance

The Nigerian National Assembly is considering a bill that would make voting compulsory for all eligible citizens. The proposed legislation, titled “Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act 2022 to Make It Mandatory for All Nigerians of Majority Age to Vote in All National and State Elections and for Related Matters,” seeks to impose penalties on those who fail to vote. 

Under the bill, non-compliant individuals could face a six-month jail term, a fine of N100,000, or both. The bill has sparked significant controversy, with the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) calling for its immediate withdrawal.

In a letter dated March 29, 2025, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, stated that “jailing eligible Nigerians for deciding not to vote would be entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations.”

SERAP argues that the right to vote includes the right not to vote, emphasizing that citizens should be free to decide whether or not to participate in elections.

The organization contends that the proposed bill infringes on this freedom and is therefore oppressive. Instead of penalizing non-voters, SERAP urges the National Assembly to focus on electoral reforms that would encourage participation. 

These include removing constitutional immunity for state governors and their deputies who commit electoral offenses, prohibiting the appointment of partisan individuals as Resident Electoral Commissioners, and enhancing voter registration processes through technology.

SERAP warns that if the bill is passed and signed into law, it will consider appropriate legal action to challenge its legality and prevent its implementation.