Why voting should be made mandatory'For all eligible citizens' in Nigeria.

Yahaya Aliyu

In this quest to recruit political office holders in the state, democratic principle recognizes periodic elections as the best way in choosing leaders by all and sundry. Not only that, election is an instrument through which patriotic citizens troops out en masse to speak out their voices via ballot boxes all over the world particularly in Democratic States.

Prelude to 2023 General Elections in Nigeria the Independent National Electoral Commission vigorously embarked on registration of eligible citizens above the required age of voting and those who have misplaced their issued permanent Voter Cards. There was an improvement significantly in the registration but what is more painful is the considerable decline in the voter’s turnout on the day of election.

The corrobative reference in favour of this lingering issue to the just concluded 2023 General Elections which recorded a very low voter turnout. From the official revelation by INEC, almost 93 millions Nigerian citizens registered with the electoral body. It also made huge success in the distribution of PVC across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Notwithstanding, the most worrisome aspect of election in Nigeria is poor voting number by the citizens willingly for one reason or the other desist from voting. In fact, this single but dreadful action may negatively bring about bad and incompetent government to power.

As a matter of fact increment of political apathy which takes form of declining voting rate during a poll is alarming. In view of this, some citizens assert that unfulfilled campaign promises from the side of the political candidates discourage multiple voters to distance themselves from all form of political participation.

Even though, the foregoing assertion is worthy to e considered but not through an act of refusal to vote.

In addition to the above, some citizens eligible to vote are to the belief that politics is an enterprise for the politicians and that it become a means to exchange things to one another. That is, a kind of give and take or what is common among the subjects “Do me I do you”. This is fallacious perspective that feeds political infidelity and incompetency in the recruitment of political office holders’ particularly elective positions.

One has to sit down and cogitate on why is it that time countessly qualified hands are grossly defeated by the inept and incompetent candidates?

Simply simple, take a glance at the official statistical revelation by INEC, which demonstrates that “only 25, 286, 616 – about 28.65% percent of all eligible voters in Nigeria showed off and participated in the recent inferred and declared presidential election.

More so, the low turnout of voters have characterized Nigerian elections, and have witnessed a steady decline which reached a new low during February’s Presidential and National Assembly polls.

Comparatively speaking in 2011, the voter turnout was at what can be described as an impressive 53.7% of the voting population. By 2015, it dropped to 43.7% and 34.75% in 2019.

This sadly and immensely affected the better changes of the Nigerian voters to choose political leaders with highest political and administrative acumen foresight and sound policies capable of bringing better life for the citizenry. In fact, ignorance and political apathy coupled with poor voter turn not are evils persistently undermining the democratic process and our ground to recruit best hands for leadership posts ought to energetically, decisively and above all strategically suppress. This can invite sanity and progress to the Nation.

In the final analysis, voting ought to be compulsory on all citizens eligible to vote both collision was of the belief that “not voting is not a protest it is a surrender”. A Hausa Adage says “Mai abu dogarin kayansa”. This point out that we the masses should come out en masse during Election Day to wisely exercise our franchisement as therein contains and commanded by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Not only that, the law has to be enacted providing a new provision for mandatory duty on citizens to vote. This is a great and reliable panacea to the low voter turnout so as to promote our democratic practices resembling global best practices.

YAHAYA ALIYU a HND Student, Department of Mass Communication

Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi

yahayaaleeyu1990@gmail.com