The Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, has called on the National Assembly to reject a proposed bill that seeks to penalize Nigerians for not voting during elections.

According to reports, the House of Representatives on Thursday passed the bill for second reading. Sponsored by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, the bill proposes mandatory voting and a six-month jail term for citizens who abstain.

In a statement released on Friday, Itodo emphasized that voting is a right, not a crime, and that individuals also have the right to choose not to participate in elections.

While acknowledging the bill’s aim to combat voter apathy, Yiaga Africa pointed out that abstaining from voting is a legitimate right recognized under both national and international law.

The bill may be well-intentioned in its bid to tackle low voter turnout, but its coercive measures are excessive and violate fundamental constitutional freedoms, the statement read.

Itodo argued that true democracy depends on free choice, including the freedom to not vote, and warned that imposing penalties for non-participation would undermine democratic values.

He added that the bill overlooks the real causes of voter apathy such as lack of trust in the electoral process, election fraud, and poor governance and does nothing to solve these core issues.

“Rather than punish citizens, lawmakers should focus on reforms that build public confidence, ensure credible elections, and remove barriers to participation,” Itodo urged.

Yiaga Africa recommended that the National Assembly prioritize reforms like electronic transmission of results, transparent appointments to INEC, diaspora voting, and early voting as better ways to encourage voter participation.

In conclusion, the organization maintained that the solution to voter apathy lies in restoring public trust and electoral integrity, not in threatening punishment for abstention.

Punitive laws won’t fix apathy, the group said. Only trust, fairness, and accountability will.