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The proposed plan to make voting mandatory in Nigeria has drawn criticism from human rights attorney Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, who said he would sooner be imprisoned than follow such a law.

Speaking on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” program on Monday, Agbakoba denounced the National Assembly’s plan to impose mandatory voting, claiming that it ignores the underlying reasons for voter apathy in the nation.

“Look at the ridiculous one in the National Assembly about voting being compulsory. If that bill were to pass, I would say, ‘Agbakoba, we will not obey it.’ I’ll plead conscientious objection. I’d rather go to prison for six months than to obey it,” he said.

The senior lawyer questioned the rationale behind the bill, saying, “Why would the National Assembly want to impose compulsory voting? Why don’t they reverse the question and say, Why are Nigerians not interested? What is the apathy about?”

He asserts that exclusion is at the core of Nigeria’s democratic failure and that voter disengagement results from years of exclusion and unmet political promises rather than a lack of civic duty.

Looking ahead to the general elections in 2027, the rights lawyer stated that he has observed a concerning trend and cautioned that Nigerian democracy cannot thrive if it continues to benefit a small elite.

Agbakoba reiterated that Nigeria’s political failure is the main cause of poor voter participation when questioned if the allure of public office and the persistent failure of leadership are the true problems.

According to ZINGTIE, the law aims to require all Nigerians of voting age to participate in national and state elections. It passed second reading in the House of Representatives.

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Daniel Asama Ago, a member of the Labour Party, are co-sponsoring the bill.

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