In a stunning reversal, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has officially withdrawn his controversial bill proposing compulsory voting for Nigerians, following a wave of public opposition and intense stakeholder backlash.
The bill, co-sponsored by Abbas and Hon. Daniel Ago, aimed to amend the Electoral Act 2022 to mandate voting for all eligible Nigerians. Announced and withdrawn on Monday, May 26, 2025, the decision came after widespread criticism from civil society and concerns about citizens’ rights. Abbas cited “respect for public sentiment” as the core reason behind the retraction.
Recall that the proposed legislation, titled “A 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”, sought to enforce civic participation by penalizing voter apathy. Under the bill, failure to vote could have resulted in a fine of up to N100,000 or a six-month prison sentence.
Critics slammed the bill as authoritarian, arguing that it threatened fundamental democratic freedoms. Civil rights organizations, legal experts, and a broad spectrum of Nigerians decried it as a violation of personal liberty.
In response, Abbas released an official statement through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi:
“The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D., GCON, wishes to inform the public that, following extensive consultations with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, he has decided to withdraw the Bill to Amend the Electoral Act 2022 to make voting mandatory for all eligible Nigerians, which he co-sponsored with Hon. Daniel Adama Ago.”
Defending the initial intent of the bill, Abbas cited global precedents:
“From the outset, the Bill was introduced with the best of intentions, which is to bolster civic engagement and strengthen our democracy by encouraging higher voter turnout. Compulsory voting has long been practised with notable success in countries such as Australia, Belgium and Brazil… while nations like Argentina and Singapore have also implemented similar measures.”
But even these comparisons failed to sway the public.
Acknowledging the backlash, Abbas made a strategic pivot:
“Nevertheless, the Speaker acknowledges that lawmaking is ultimately about the people it serves, and that any reform must respect individual freedoms and public sentiment.”
He assured that future reforms would aim to encourage, not enforce, participation:
“Rather than compel participation, he is committed to exploring positive incentives and innovative approaches that will make voting more attractive and accessible to all Nigerians.”