Nigeria: Experts Call for Better Legislative Process

Nigeria: Experts Call for Better Legislative Process

The two controversial bills and their eventual withdrawals have reignited debate over the quality of legislative agenda-setting at the National Assembly, especially from its leadership.

Nigeria scraps controversial bill making voting mandatory

The bill sailed through its second reading 10 days, but was sharply criticised by lawyers and rights groups.

Speaker Abbas withdraws controversial compulsory voting bill

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas has withdrawn the controversial compulsory voting bill following backlash by civil society organisations and activists. Organisations like CISLAC and Yiaga Africa and several vocal legal experts had largely described the bill undemocratic and impractical. The bill sought to amend the 2022 Electoral Act to impose a six-month jail term or a fine of N100,000 on any registered voter who fai…

National Assembly bows to pressure - drops compulsory voting bill

The National Assembly has officially withdrawn a controversial bill that sought to make voting compulsory for all eligible Nigerians. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, announced the decision Monday, citing “extensive consultations with a broad spectrum of stakeholders.” The bill, co-sponsored by Hon. Daniel Asama Ago, aimed to amend the Electoral Act 2022 to enforce voting as a civic duty. “From the outset, the bill w…

Speaker Abbas withdraws compulsory voting bill - Daily Trust

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Abbas Tajudeen, says he has withdrawn the controversial Compulsory Voting Bill. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi on Monday, the Speaker stated that, “following extensive consultations with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, he has decided to withdraw the Bill to Amend the Electoral Act 2022 to make voting mandatory for all eligible Nigerians, which…

Voting Bill: Yiaga Africa Calls for Electoral Reforms

Yiaga Africa has called on the National Assembly to focus its legislative agenda on meaningful electoral reforms that will strengthen Nigeria’s democracy, following the withdrawal of a voting bill that proposed to make voting compulsory for eligible citizens. The bill, co-sponsored by the speaker of the house of representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and Daniel Ago, lawmaker representing Bassa/Jos North federal constituency of Plateau State, had recom…