YIAGA Africa Director Samson Itodo has opposed the proposed bill seeking to make voting compulsory in Nigeria, describing the six-month jail term penalty as "draconian" and counterproductive to democratic principles.

Speaking on Channels Television's Politics Today on Thursday, Itodo acknowledged that while Nigeria would not be the first country to implement compulsory voting, the punitive measures in the proposed legislation undermine citizens' freedom to participate in the electoral process.

"I understand the rationale behind that proposed bill, which is to encourage massive turnout at elections, because Nigeria has the lowest turnout in elections in the whole of Africa even though we have the highest number of registered voters," Itodo stated.

He emphasized that the 25% voter turnout in the last election was "abysmally poor" but maintained that compelling citizens to vote with the threat of imprisonment is not the solution.

"I think that Bill totally amounts to legislative overkill. I don't think that it will pass. We cannot compel participation because not participating is also another form of political participation, and we need to recognize that," he added.

The bill, jointly sponsored by House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Daniel Ago, passed second reading in the House of Representatives on Thursday. Ago, while leading the debate, argued that the legislation aims to boost citizens' participation and reduce voter apathy.

Alternative Solutions to Voter Apathy

Itodo suggested that instead of compulsory voting, the National Assembly should focus on ensuring that votes count and elected officials deliver good governance.

"If people trust that their vote will count at elections, they will show up," he said, adding that when elected officials fail to solve problems and instead engage in "primitive accumulation of wealth," citizens become disillusioned with the electoral process.

"When people stand in long queues, they vote for people into office, and when people get into office, they don't solve problems that their voters ask them to solve... people feel that voting is a waste of their time," Itodo explained.

The YIAGA Africa director pointed to Australia as an example of a country that practices compulsory voting but emphasized that Nigeria's approach needs to address the root causes of voter apathy rather than imposing penalties.

As the bill progresses through the legislative process, it remains to be seen whether lawmakers will consider these concerns and potentially modify the punitive aspects of the proposed legislation.