Elections: Lawmakers’ move to curb voter apathy

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja, Abuja

In recent time, elections in the country, at both the national and state levels have been characterised by low turnout of voters. Before a general election, eligible voters crowd Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) voter registration centres to be registered so as to be eligible to vote in the election. However, during the election proper, only a handful of the registered voters come out to cast their ballot for their preferred candidate.

For instance, ahead the 2019 General Elections, the number of registered voters from across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) stood at 84, 271,832. Regardless, the total votes cast in the February 27, 2019 presidential poll was 28,614,190. 

Prior to the 2023 General Elections, there were expectations that more Nigerians will participate actively at the polls to elect the president, members pf the National Assembly, as well as governors and members of the state Houses of Assembly, owing the enthusiasm displayed by citizens during the electioneering.

According to INEC, a total of 94.4 million Nigerian registered to vote in the 2023 General Elections. But while 87.2 million collected their Permanent Voters Card (PVC), only 25 million persons voted in the February 25, 2023 presidential election. This was a reduction of three million votes, when compared with the votes cast in the 2019 presidential poll.

Reps move to make voting mandatory

As the country is getting set for another round of General Elections, the House of Representatives is proposing a bill to amend the Electoral Act 2022 so as to make voting in all elections mandatory for all Nigerians who have attained the age of 18 years and above in the country. The bill, which is sponsored by the speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, proposes a 6-month imprisonment or a fine of not more than N100,000 for any registered voter convicted for failing to exercise his or her franchise during national and state elections, as well as local council polls in the country.

The proposed legislation, which 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,” according to its explanatory memorandum, “seeks to remedy the large-scale apathy to performing a vital civic duty in electing Nigerian leaders. The percentage of Registered Voters that present themselves for actual voting is abysmally low and requires parliamentary attention.”

Specifically, the bill is seeking for an alteration of Sections 9,10, 12 and 47 of the Electoral Act 2022 to mandate INEC to compile a voter register which shall include the names of all Nigerians, who are 18 years and above and are therefore eligible to vote during elections, and for continuous voter registration exercise.

The proposed amendment of the principal act states that “the Commission shall compile, maintain, and update, on a continuous basis, a National Register of Voters (in this Act referred to as ‘the Register of Voters’) which shall include the names of all persons-(a) who have attained the Majority Age of 18 and are entitled to vote in any Federal, State, Local Government or Federal Capital Territory Area Council election…”

The proposed amendment to Section 47(4a) provides that “It shall be mandatory for all registered voters who have attained the Majority Age of 18 and above to vote in all National and State Elections;

(b) A person who has attained the Majority Age of 18 years who refuses to perform his Civic Duty to vote commits an offence and is liable on conviction, to a fine not more than #100,000 or imprisonment for a term not more than six months.”

The push back

However, while stakeholders believe that voter apathy is a drawback to participatory governance, the proposed legislation, apart from infringing on the right to freedom of choice is not the antidote to low turn out during elections. The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abdullahi Ibrahim says “the honest truth is that, it will be an aberration. That will be contrary to the principles of democracy; what democracy itself seeks to achieve is liberty and freedom. Not even the United States, where Nigeria model (of democracy) is patterned after compels people to vote during elections.”

Abdullahi further stated that while it is good for citizens to take part during elections, as it will enable them return popular candidates who will pilot their affairs, there is so much disillusion in the country about the kind of violence that characterise elections in the country.

According to him, “when somebody is pissed off, for example like many Nigerians are with the system, would you want to compel them to go to the polling unit, when you have failed to provide security in the land, movement from point A to point B is a very herculean task. Bandits have taken over the land and then somebody is saying you have to be compelled to vote.

“Polling units are places where some people are allergic to. Some people for understandable reasons, because they know that during election criminals and elements in support of certain political parties or candidates may want to come there and some people cannot stand the rigmarole that take place on election day,” Abdullahi added.

The Labour Party (LP) agrees with the major opposition party. The Labour Party National Publicity Secretary, Obiorah Ifoh , told Daily Sun, in an interview, that if the proposed legislature is passed, it would unprecedented.

“The proposal to make it compulsory for every Nigerian from the age of 18 to vote, will be the first time in the history of the world where such legislation will be introduced. You are expected to vote, the moment you turn 18. But making it compulsory is something else. Yes, as a Nigerian you would be part of making decision about the people that leads you or rules you. But I don’t know anywhere in the world where it is compulsory,” Ifoh noted.

The Labour Party spokesman further said that “what the elite should do is to make politics attractive so that people will want to participate. When their votes don’t count, you don’t expect those people to waste their time coming to the voting points to vote, when they know that their votes will not count.

“It is also necessary for us to know that in Nigeria there is so much violence on the day of election. And we have seen situations where thugs come to the polling centres and beat up voters, and sometimes even kill. And if you really think it is not safe, there is no law that can force you to an unsafe place just to vote.”

Nonetheless, beyond the proposed bill to make voting in elections mandatory, pundits say it behoves on the parliament to take decisive steps to proffer legislative solutions to factors such as voter intimidation, vote suppression, electoral violence as well as alleged partisanship by electoral officials, which have been identified as some of the reasons, many voters stay away from polling centres during election.

The National chairman, African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Okey Nwosu, while speaking recently at the signing of a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) between his party and three groups-Coalition for The Protection of Democracy (COPDEM), Justice Group and Farmers Club of Africa, said that voter apathy is a function of the hostile political environment in the country.

Nwosu explained that “Voter apathy is as a result of the attitude of our political leaders and the system we have in the country. When people go out to cast their votes, it seems as if their votes doesn’t count, so they wonder why do we continue to vote.”

Endless wait for Electoral Offences Commission

Several times, the House of Representatives has mooted the idea for the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission, to tackle electoral violences and other ills associated with elections in the country. However, the parliament has not been able to see it to fruition. 

Not a few had argued that an Electoral Offences Commission, which would be saddled with the task of punishing electoral offenders to serve as deterrent to others would help to restore public confidence in elections in the country.

This is even as analysts argue that any move to discourage voter apathy in the country, must take   into cognisance the factors responsible for it. This is because, compelling citizens to participate in polls, without tackling the factors that make them shun polling centres will not yield the desired results.