SERAP rejects proposed bill to jail, punish non-voters

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project(SERAP) has demanded that Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, immediately drop the bill seeking to enforce a six-month jail term or a fine of N100,000 or both as punishment on Nigerians who fail to vote during elections at both  national and state levels.

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In a letter signed by the Deputy Director of SERAP, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation emphasized that the proposed legislation by the National Assembly was rather “oppressive” and a violation of citizens’ rights under the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights laws.

A part of the letter read, “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,”

SERAP argued that the 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,’ was a strong infringement on Nigerians’ right to choose to participate in elections or not.

Rather than punishing citizens for not voting, SERAP urged the National Assembly to focus on meaningful electoral reforms like holding governors accountable by removing their constitutional immunity when they commit electoral offenses.

“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,”

“The National Assembly ought to propose bills to reduce the influence of money in politics, and encourage – not compel — the exercise of the right to participation,” SERAP said.

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The organisation also stated the need for amendments to enhance voter registration processes through modern technology and secure voting structures, warning that there will be serious legal actions should the bill be passed into law.

“Should the National Assembly fail to drop the bill prescribing a six-month jail term for eligible Nigerians who decide not to vote, and should any such bill be assented to by President Bola Tinubu, SERAP would consider appropriate legal action to challenge the legality of any such law and ensure they are never implemented,” it added.