A bill that aimed to make voting mandatory for all eligible Nigerians, has been withdrawn by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen.
The bill, which he co-sponsored with Daniel Asama Ago, was meant to change the Electoral Act 2022 to encourage more people to vote and strengthen democracy.
In a statement on Monday, his media aide, Musa Krishi, said the decision to pull the bill came after speaking with many people and groups across the country.
“From the start, the goal was to get more people involved in elections and strengthen democracy by boosting voter turnout,” the statement said.
The bill had passed second reading in the House on Thursday but it sparked debate.
Some people supported it, saying it would lead to better voter turnout while others said it would take away personal freedom and would be hard to enforce in a country as diverse as Nigeria.
Abbas, however, pointed out that countries like Australia, Belgium, and Brazil have high voter turnout thanks to compulsory voting, but stressed that Nigeria must find its own way that suits its people.