The president of the Nigerian Bar Affiliation (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, has mentioned that no Nigerian ought to be compelled to vote over a proposed invoice allegedly threatening a N100,000 positive towards non-voters and/ or prosecution.
Osigwe shared his views on Tuesday in an announcement tagged “You Can not Jail a Citizen for Selecting Silence: The Nigerian Bar Affiliation Condemns Obligatory Voting Invoice as Unconstitutional and Draconian.”
His response comes days after a number of reviews acknowledged {that a} ‘Invoice for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act 2022 to Make It Necessary for All Nigerians of Majority Age to Vote in All Nationwide and State Elections and for Associated Issues’ is at present earlier than the Nationwide Meeting.
Amongst different issues, the proposed invoice seeks to make voting obligatory in Nigeria and prescribes a six-month jail time period or a positive of N100,000 or each for non-compliance.
The invoice is co-sponsored by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and Labour Party lawmaker, Daniel Asama In the past.
Reacting to the event, Osigwe, who at present heads the umbrella physique of Nigerian attorneys, condemned the proposed invoice, describing it as an alleged unconstitutional affront to civil liberties and democratic values.
“Part 39(1) of the Structure ensures each citizen the suitable to freedom of expression, which incorporates the suitable to silence, dissent, and abstention.
“In a democracy, the suitable to vote is a civil liberty, not a authorized obligation.
“Compelling residents to vote by coercive authorized measures violates the basic proper of Nigerians to resolve whether or not or to not take part in elections, ” he added.
He added that as a substitute of fixing the situations that discourage voter turnout, equivalent to electoral violence, vote shopping for, amongst others, the state is allegedly making an attempt to drive participation by what he known as “punitive laws.”
“Let it’s clear: No citizen ought to be compelled to vote underneath menace of prosecution. The NBA will resist any try to implement such draconian provisions and can problem any regulation that seeks to weaponize civic participation towards the individuals, ” Osigwe acknowledged.
He maintained that Nigeria’s democracy doesn’t want coercion; it wants belief, transparency, accountability, and inclusive reforms.
