The National Association of Nigerian Students has slammed the National Assembly over a bill proposing to jail Nigerians who fail to vote during elections.
The association, in a statement by its National Vice President, Inter-Campus and Gender Affairs, Felicia Akinbodunse, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Sunday, described the bill as not only “ridiculous but laughable,” urging the lawmakers to ditch the idea or face the wrath of the Nigerian students.
“NANS views the proposed bill by the National Assembly to impose a fine and a jail term on eligible Nigerians who do not vote as not only ridiculous but laughable.
“The bill, if it is passed, will make Nigeria a laughingstock among the comity of nations in the world. Where in the world does a non-participant in an election get jailed or fined?
“It is unfortunate that the National Assembly, saddled with the constitutional responsibility and duties to make laws that will ensure the development of the nation and protect the citizens, is the one proposing a bill capable of strangulating the same people,” Akinbodunse stated.
The National Assembly had proposed a new bill, titled “Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act 2022” to make it mandatory for all Nigerians of majority age to vote in all national and state elections and for related matters.
If passed, the bill would make voting mandatory for all eligible Nigerians, marking a significant shift in Nigeria’s electoral landscape.
The proposed bill, which was introduced by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, seeks to amend the current Electoral Act 2022 by enforcing compulsory participation in national and state elections.
It proposes that any eligible voter who fails to vote without a valid reason would face a penalty, including a fine of N100,000, a six-month jail term, or both.
The bill, which has sparked heated debates across the country, according to the National Assembly, aims to address voter apathy, a persistent issue in Nigerian elections, and increase civic participation in the democratic process.
Akinbodunse, however, said the proposed bill was a misplaced priority by the National Assembly and should be discarded accordingly.
In the statement, she said voting, a constitutional right of eligible Nigerians, could not be imposed, particularly when they strongly felt their votes did not count.
She noted that instead of the National Assembly proposing bills to strengthen the electoral process that would truly reflect the wishes of Nigerians, it had busied itself to further strangulate Nigerians by proposing punitive measures against non-voters.
“It is known by Nigerians that the country’s electoral processes are still fraught with irregularities and loopholes that give room for electoral fraud and rigging.
“This is the area NANS expects the National Assembly to work on. Rather, it has continued to make Nigerians doubt the competence and sincerity of members of both the Senate and House of Representatives.
“This proposed bill is another comedy show from the stable of the National Assembly,” she added.
Akinbodunse said NANS would mobilise against the proposed bill, urging civil societies, organised labour and other stakeholders to stand against what she described as a low one from the National Assembly.
“As an umbrella of the students in the country, NANS will mobilise massively against this proposed bill aimed at imposing a needless law on Nigerians.
“NANS leadership hereby urges civil society groups, stakeholders and organised labour to rise against this latest charade by the National Assembly,” the statement stated.
