The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to retract a proposed bill that seeks to impose a six-month jail term or a ₦100,000 fine on eligible voters who refrain from elections. SERAP asserts that sanctioning Nigerians for not voting violates constitutional rights and international human rights obligations.
The organization, in a letter signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare called for constitutional amendments to strip state governors and their deputies of immunity in cases of electoral offences such as vote-buying. It also advocated for banning the appointment of political party members as resident electoral commissioners (RECs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
SERAP cautioned that if the National Assembly proceeds with the bill and it is signed into law, it will pursue legal action to prevent its execution. The organization emphasized that approaching electoral malpractice and creating a conducive voting environment would be more efficient in addressing voter apathy than forceful measures.
