Abbas’ Legislative Capitulation

It was good that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, listened to the voice of reason and withdrew the vexatious bill he introduced in parliament to make voting mandatory for adult Nigerians.

The bill, which he co-sponsored with Hon. Daniel Ago, who represents Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency, was to provide, among other things, that eligible Nigerians who fail to vote during elections could face a penalty of up to six months in prison or a fine not exceeding N100,000.

In his curious argument, Abbas had claimed that the objective was to address low voter turnout, promote civic responsibility, and transform voting from a personal choice into a legal obligation.

He cited countries like Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Argentina and Singapore that are practising compulsory voting.

However, he failed to add that unlike in Nigeria where leaders emerge through manipulation of election results and fraudulent judgments by compromised judges, the people’s votes really count in those countries he mentioned.

It wasn’t a surprise that Nigerians rejected the bill and condemned its potential impact on democratic freedom and human rights. 

Many believe that the bill was an attempt by the political class to force Nigerians to turn out massively on election day and give credibility to elections whose results will surely be manipulated against the people’s will.

Abbas should address the root causes of voter apathy, instead of seeking to criminalise the public’s justified indifference to a system that continues to fail them.

He has again confirmed the general belief among Nigerians that the country’s leaders are disconnected from the masses.

Interestingly, this is not the first time Abbas would withdraw embarrassing bills he proposed in the parliament. In August 2024, he withdrew a bill that would have allowed the jailing of Nigerians who “embarrass” or disrespect government officials.

The federal lawmakers should stop plotting to send innocent Nigerians to jail for demanding good governance.

They should pass laws to jail political thieves masquerading as leaders; they should pass laws that protect the sanctity of the electoral process so that Nigerians will see voting as a worthwhile obligation and turn out massively and willingly during elections.