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.