From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives is proposing a bill to amend the Electoral Act 2022 to make it compulsory for every Nigerian, who has attained the age of 18 years and above, to vote in elections.
The proposed legislation sponsored by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, is 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.”
The bill, which is seeking an alteration of Sections 9,10, 12 and 47 of the Electoral Act 2022, prescribes a penalty of not more than six-month imprisonment or a fine not more than N100,000 for any Nigerian of voting age, who fails to cast his or her vote during national, state and local government council polls.
Essentially, it seeks to mandate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to compile a voter register, which shall include names of all Nigerians, who are 18 years and above and are, therefore, eligible to vote during elections, and for continuous voter registration exercise.
The bill, according to its explanatory memorandum, is geared towards addressing “the large-scale apathy to performing a vital civic duty in electing Nigerian leaders. The percentage of Registered Voters that present themselves for actual voting is abysmally low and requires parliamentary attention.”
In recent time, presidential and governorship elections in the country have been characterised by low turnout of registered voters. For instance, according to INEC, a total of 94.4 million registered to vote in the 2023 general election, 87.2 million collected their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) while only 25 million persons participated in the February 25 2023 presidential election.
Also, in the last Ondo State governorship poll, 2.053 million voters registered but only 508,963 persons exercised their franchise.
The proposed amendment to Section 9 of the principal act states that “the Commission shall compile, maintain, and update, on a continuous basis, a National Register of Voters (in this Act referred to as ‘the Register of Voters’) which shall include the names of all persons -(a) who have attained the Majority Age of 18 and are entitled to vote in any federal, state, local government or Federal Capital Territory Area Council election…”
The proposed amendment to Section 47(4a) provides that “It shall be mandatory for all registered voters who have attained the majority age of 18 and above to vote in all national and state elections;
“(b) A person who has attained the Majority Age of 18 years who refuses to perform his civic duty to vote commits an offence and is liable on conviction, to a fine not more than N100,000 or imprisonment for a term not more than six months.”