Politics
BREAKING NEWS: The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Abbas Tajudeen has withdrawn the controversial Compulsory Voting Bill after protest by NBA and other Nigerians
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Abbas Tajudeen has withdrawn the controversial Compulsory Voting Bill after protest by NBA and other Nigerians
Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, has withdrawn the bill seeking to make voting compulsory for eligible Nigerians. The withdrawn bill also proposed a six-month jail term or a fine of N100,000 for eligible voters who fail to participate in elections.
The bill was co-sponsored by Abbas and Daniel Ago, lawmaker representing Bassa/Jos north federal constituency of Plateau state.
However, the bill was strongly criticised by a broad spectrum of Nigerians, including civil society organisations (CSOs) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
Abbas added that the bill’s withdrawal would allow for “further dialogue” on how best to foster voluntary participation that honours our democratic ideals and the rights of Nigerians.