Monday May 26, 2025|
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Abbas Tajudeen, says he has withdrawn the controversial Compulsory Voting Bill.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi on Monday, May 26, the Speaker stated that, “following extensive consultations with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, he has decided to withdraw the Bill to Amend the Electoral Act 2022 to make voting mandatory for all eligible Nigerians, which he co-sponsored with Hon. Daniel Adama Ago.”
According to him, from the outset, the Bill was introduced with the best of intentions, “to bolster civic engagement and strengthen our democracy by encouraging higher voter turnout.”
“Compulsory voting has long been practised with notable success in countries such as Australia, Belgium and Brazil, where it has helped sustain participation rates above 90 per cent, while nations like Argentina and Singapore have also implemented similar measures to foster inclusivity at the ballot box,” the statement added.
