Human rights lawyer Olisa Agbakoba has condemned a proposed law making voting compulsory in Nigeria, arguing it won’t solve voter apathy and infringes on civil liberties
[dropcap]A[/dropcap] proposed law that would make voting compulsory in Nigeria has been strongly criticised by human rights lawyer, Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, who declared he would rather go to prison than adhere to it.
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Speaking on Channels TV, Agbakoba voiced his firm opposition to the bill, which has recently passed its second reading in the House of Representatives.
The legislation aims to amend the Electoral Act, compelling all eligible Nigerians to participate in national and state elections.
“Look at the ridiculous one in the National Assembly about voting being compulsory. 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,” Agbakoba stated.
He argued that the move to force citizens to vote fails to address the underlying issues behind Nigeria’s widespread voter apathy.
“Why would the National Assembly want to impose compulsory voting? Why don’t they reverse the question and say, ‘Why are Nigerians not interested?’ What is the apathy about?” Agbakoba queried.
I’d rather go to prison for six months than to obey it.
According to the lawyer, many Nigerians have become disengaged from the electoral process due to years of exclusion, broken promises, and a perceived lack of benefits from governance.
“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.
But then people see the same old trick. You come, you take my vote, you disappear till the next four years. There’ll be apathy,” he added.
Agbakoba warned that unless Nigeria’s political structure becomes more inclusive and responsive to citizens’ needs, making voting mandatory will only deepen distrust in the system.
“We have a system that excludes. People are not taking part in the process. Democracy can’t succeed if it continues to serve only a select elite,” he said.
The proposed law, jointly sponsored by the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, and Labour Party lawmaker, Daniel Asama Ago, is intended to combat voter apathy and vote-buying.
Its sponsors have cited Australia’s compulsory voting system as a successful model. Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, has also expressed his support for the bill, describing it as “a step in the right direction.”
However, the bill has sparked legal and civil rights concerns. Another prominent lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has described the proposal as both unconstitutional and unenforceable.
In a statement titled “Compulsory Voting Is Not Enough,” Falana cited sections of the 1999 Constitution that protect the rights to privacy, thought, and conscience, arguing that compulsory voting violates these provisions.
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“It is practically impossible to prosecute millions of Nigerians who may decide to boycott national and local elections that have been reduced to the periodic renewal of misgovernance, corruption, and abuse of power,” Falana stated.
