A proposed bill seeking to make voting mandatory in Nigeria has sparked intense debate and criticism, with Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Olisa Agbakoba declaring that he would rather be imprisoned than comply with such a law.
The bill, which passed second reading in the House of Representatives, aims to mandate voting for all eligible Nigerians in national and state elections.
However, Agbakoba and other critics argue that it infringes on citizens’ rights and fails to address the root causes of voter apathy.
Agbakoba expressed his strong opposition to the bill on Channels Television’s Politics Today, stating, “If that bill were to pass, I would say, ‘Agbakoba, we will not obey it.’ I’ll plead conscientious objection. I’d rather go to prison for six months than to obey it.”
He attributed voter disengagement to years of exclusion and unfulfilled political promises, saying, “The apathy is that they don’t get anything. If I know that I’m going to get something—there’s an aspiration, there’s an interest—you will find people coming out to vote.”
Similarly, Senior Advocate Femi Falana has also criticised the bill, describing it as unconstitutional and impractical.
“Compulsory voting cannot be legalised in vacuo… It is practically impossible to prosecute millions of Nigerians who may decide to boycott national and local elections,” Falana said.
