BREAKING: Reps bow to pressure, withdraws bill on mandatory voting

Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, has officially withdrawn the bill seeking to make voting compulsory in Nigeria.

The bill, which was co-sponsored by Abbas and Daniel Ago, who represents Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency in Plateau State, had scaled its second reading in the House on May 15.

During the debate, Ago explained that the proposed amendment to the Electoral Act 2022 aimed to address the issue of low voter turnout.

He argued that making voting compulsory would boost civic engagement, increase participation in elections, and turn voting into a legal duty rather than a personal decision.

Ago also noted that the bill could help strengthen democracy by improving political representation, creating a more politically conscious society, and reducing incidents of vote buying.

However, Speaker Abbas has now withdrawn the proposed legislation, though no official reason for the withdrawal was disclosed at the time of this report.