Prominent human rights lawyer, Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has strongly criticized the proposed legislation seeking to make voting compulsory in Nigeria.
During an interview on Channels Television, Agbakoba declared that he would rather serve a six-month jail term than comply with such a law, which he described as misguided and disconnected from the realities of voter disengagement.
He argued that forcing citizens to vote does not tackle the underlying causes of voter apathy in the country.
“Take, for instance, that absurd bill in the National Assembly pushing for mandatory voting. If it ever becomes law, I’d say, ‘Agbakoba will not comply.’ I’d claim conscientious objection. I’d prefer to spend six months in prison than follow it,” he stated.
Challenging the logic of the bill, the senior advocate asked, “Why is the National Assembly trying to enforce compulsory voting? Why not flip the question and ask why Nigerians are uninterested in voting? What is driving the widespread apathy?”