The Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, has criticized a proposed bill seeking to make voting mandatory for all eligible Nigerians, describing the provision of a six-month jail term for non-compliance as “draconian” and a threat to democratic freedoms.
The bill, jointly sponsored by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and lawmaker Daniel Ago, passed second reading during Thursday’s plenary session. It seeks to amend the Electoral Act 2022 to enforce compulsory voting as a means of addressing voter apathy in the country.