SERAP Requests Withdrawal Of Bill For Compulsory Voting By NASS, Describes It, “oppressive and repressive”.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Senator Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to withdraw the proposed bill that seeks to make voting compulsory for all Nigerians of voting age.
The bill which is currently before the National Assembly, have six-month jail term or a N100,000 fine for individuals who fail to vote in national and state elections.
In a letter by SERAP dated March 29, 2025, and signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP’s Deputy Director, the organisation maintained that the bill is “oppressive and repressive,” adding 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.”
“Voting is a Right, Not a Compulsion”
SERAP strongly condemned the bill, arguing that voting is a democratic right, not an obligation.
“The right to vote includes the right not to vote. If participation in governance is a fundamental right, then citizens must be free to decide whether or not to exercise it,” the organisation stated.
SERAP further criticised the bill, likening its enforcement to coercion.
“Because democracy exists by virtue of the consent of the people, voters must get to choose how they exercise that consent, not be forced to the polls like cattle to the slaughter,” the letter read.
Instead of enforcing mandatory voting, SERAP urged the National Assembly to focus on removing constitutional immunity for governors and their deputies who commit electoral offences, including vote-buying and voter suppression.
“Rather than proposing bills that punish Nigerians for not voting, lawmakers should prioritise amendments that facilitate the investigation and prosecution of high-ranking politicians who manipulate elections with impunity,” SERAP stated.
The group also demanded amendments to the Nigerian Constitution and Electoral Act to prohibit political party members from being appointed as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“SERAP Will Challenge the Bill in Court”
SERAP warned that if the bill is not withdrawn and eventually becomes law, it would take legal action to challenge its constitutionality.
“Should the National Assembly fail to drop this bill, and should it be assented to by President Bola Tinubu, we will consider appropriate legal steps to ensure it is never implemented,” the organisation asserted.
It further urged lawmakers to focus on restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system through transparent and reform-oriented measures.
“The real issue facing Nigeria’s democracy is not voter apathy but a lack of trust in the electoral process. If citizens do not believe in election outcomes, the entire democratic system becomes a questionable enterprise,” SERAP emphasised.
SERAP also proposed constitutional amendments to introduce internet-based voter registration and the use of modern technology in voting, counting, and result reporting.
“Amending the electoral framework to explicitly guarantee secure voting rights would enhance public participation and strengthen representative democracy,” it stated.
The organisation concluded by urging lawmakers to “rein in politicians who abuse electoral laws” rather than penalising ordinary Nigerians.
