A bill seeking to make voting mandatory for all eligible Nigerian voters pending in the House of Representatives has been described as undemocratic and an abuse of human rights by Global Rights.
The Reps are currently amending the Electoral Act, 2022, which when passed into law, attracts penalties, including fines of ₦100,000, six months imprisonment, or both for defaulters.
In a statement by the Executive Director, Abiodun Baiyewu, the human rights group stated that, “We believe in civic participation and the value of voting in a democratic society, but we firmly reject the idea that Nigerians should be forced to vote under threat of punishment.
“This proposal is not just misguided, it is undemocratic. Voting is indeed a civic duty and a vital responsibility in any democracy. However, civic duty should be encouraged through public trust, education, and access, not enforced through criminal penalties.
“In a truly democratic society, participation must be voluntary, meaningful, and inspired by confidence in the system, not compelled by fear of fines or imprisonment.”
The group said low voter turnout of voters is not primarily due to indifference to the outcome but a deep mistrust of the electoral process.
It added saying: “This mistrust is further compounded by the violence, vote buying, hate speech, and disinformation that continue to plague Nigeria’s elections.
“The increasing monetiSation of politics, the deployment of thugs, and the routine use of incendiary rhetoric and fake news during campaigns have created an environment in which many Nigerians no longer believe elections are fair, safe, or meaningful.”
Referring to a research it conducted titled “Disarming Weapons of Lies and Hate: Countering the Weaponisation of Identity-Based Hate and Fake News in Nigeria’s Elections,” it stated posited that “90.7% of respondents agreed that hate speech and fake news have damaged social cohesion, and 67.5% reported that such rhetoric reduced their willingness to participate in the electoral process.”
It said many Nigerians have little faith in the judiciary, the final arbiter of election disputes describing it as “lacking independence.”
It frowned on criminalising non-voters and charged the lawmakers to focus on restoration of public confidence in the democratic process, ensuring that INEC complies with the Electoral Act and in conducting transparent and credible elections.
“Efforts must also be directed toward making democracy more inclusive, particularly for women, persons with disabilities, and young people, who face systemic barriers to political participation.
“More importantly, people and groups who commit electoral violence must be accountable, as this is one of the greatest deterrents to voter engagement in Nigeria,” it said.
