SERAP demands withdrawal of bill proposing jail for Nigerians who don’t vote

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has called on Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and House of Representatives Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, to immediately withdraw a bill seeking to impose a six-month jail term or a fine of ₦100,000—or both—on eligible Nigerians who fail to vote in national and state elections.

In a letter dated March 29, 2025, and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation described the proposed legislation as “oppressive” and a violation of citizens’ rights under the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights laws.

“Jailing eligible Nigerians for deciding not to vote would be entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations,” the letter stated.

The bill, is 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,’ proposes making voting compulsory for all eligible Nigerians.

SERAP argued that the measure infringes on citizens’ right to choose whether to participate in elections or not.

“The right to vote includes the right not to vote. If the right to participation is a right of the citizen, she/he must be free to decide whether or not to exercise it,” SERAP said.

Rather than criminalising voter apathy, SERAP urged the National Assembly to prioritise electoral reforms, including removing constitutional immunity for state governors and their deputies who commit electoral offences.