BREAKING: Yiaga Africa Rejects Compulsory Voting Bill, Calls for Electoral Reform Over Coercion

Yiaga Africa has strongly condemned the proposed bill currently under consideration in Nigeria’s National Assembly that seeks to make voting compulsory and impose a six-month jail term on eligible voters who fail to participate in elections.

In a statement released on Friday by Executive Director Samson Itodo, the civic organisation described the bill as “draconian” and a clear violation of constitutionally guaranteed rights. According to Yiaga Africa, “Voting is a right, not a duty to be criminalised,” emphasising that the right to abstain is itself a legitimate form of political expression protected under both domestic and international law.

The statement read, “The said bill is conceived as a legislative intervention to address the abysmally low voter turnout. While the rationale for the bill is plausible because it aims to address one of the biggest challenges in Nigeria’s electoral system, the strong-arm approach adopted by the bill is draconian and it constitutes a gross violation of constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights. Indeed, the right to abstain from voting is itself a legitimate form of political expression protected under domestic and international human rights law”

While acknowledging that the bill aims to address low voter turnout — which hit a historic low of 27.1% in the 2023 general elections — Yiaga Africa argued that coercive measures will do more harm than good to Nigeria’s fragile democracy.

“Democracy thrives on freedom, which includes the choice to participate or abstain from voting. Compulsory voting undermines this democratic freedom and the punitive sanctions for not voting erodes the foundational principles of voluntary democratic engagement. The bill, in its entirety, fails to address the drivers of voter apathy such as distrust in the electoral process, election manipulation and poor governance. Rather than compel voting, the National Assembly should prioritise electoral reforms that rebuild public trust, improve election integrity, and remove structural and systemic barriers to participation. These include reforms that guarantee mandatory electronic transmission of results, review the mode of appointments into INEC, early voting, diaspora voting and improved transparency in the management of elections,” the statement said

The group highlighted that voter apathy in Nigeria is deeply rooted in systemic issues such as electoral malpractice, lack of transparency, and distrust in governance. It urged lawmakers to focus on more meaningful reforms that would inspire public confidence and participation, including the electronic transmission of results, early and diaspora voting, and enhanced transparency in the appointment of INEC officials.

The statement further read, “Yiaga Africa believes voter apathy isn’t addressed with imposing punishment for not voting. It can be addressed through trust, electoral justice, and accountability. We therefore urge the National Assembly to reject the proposal and channel its legislative efforts towards passing electoral amendments that expand access to voting, guarantee electoral transparency, and protect the political rights of all Nigerians.”

The organisation reiterated that addressing voter apathy requires investment in trust, justice, and accountability, not punitive legislation. It concluded by calling on the National Assembly to reject the proposed bill and instead enact reforms that expand access to voting and protect the political rights of all Nigerians.