, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo has berated the House of Representatives.){kind=link}
A chieftain of New Nigeria Peoples Party, (NNPP), Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo has berated the House of Representatives on a bill to make voting compulsory for all eligible voters in the country, saying such move is an attempt in futility.
The bill titled “A 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,” was introduced by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen and backed by punitive measures for defaulters.
But the NNPP chieftain in a statement said the move by the House of Representatives to make voting compulsory in Nigeria cannot work, since the country cannot boast of adequate citizens data base, saying such a bill is aiming at foster rigging in future elections.
Oguntoyinbo in the statement made available to journalists on Saturday, described the bill as a violation of civil liberties and democratic principles.
He said, “In a democracy, voting is a civil liberty, not a legal obligation, saying compelling citizens to vote through coercive measures infringes on their fundamental rights. The bill is inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution. Section 39(1) of the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to freedom of expression, which includes the right to remain silent, dissent, and abstain.
“In a democracy, voting is a civil liberty, not a legal obligation. Compelling citizens to vote through coercive measures infringes on their fundamental rights.
“The bill being introduced by the House of Representatives to make voting compulsory in Nigeria aside being undemocratic is not practicable because among other things, the country lack citizen’s data base.
“Adequate citizens’ database is a precusor for a compulsory voting and the House of Representatives members like all other Nigerians know that the country lack adequate database to carry out such enforcement “.