How Nigeria Will Happen To Some Citizens Peradventure Compulsory Voting Bill Becomes A Law

Isaac Asabor

When Nigerians quip that “Nigeria can happen to anybody,” it is often shrugged off as a cliché. But beneath that phrase lies a deep and bitter truth, a chilling reality that becomes more apparent when you find yourself on the wrong end of a system that criminalizes apathy while rewarding impunity. What can be more twisted than a country where citizens are thrown behind bars for not voting, yet politicians who rig elections, the very cancer of our democratic process, go scot free, even celebrated?

It is paradoxical that instead of channeling their legislative energy toward sponsoring a bill that would criminalize and jail election riggers, a move many Nigerians would welcome as a step toward sanitizing the electoral process, the sponsors of the so-called Compulsory Voting Bill are busy pushing a proposal that not a few Nigerians have vehemently condemned as misplaced and draconian. At a time when the credibility of elections is constantly under question due to rigging and voter suppression, it is baffling that lawmakers are prioritizing forced participation over electoral justice, further exposing the widening disconnect between Nigeria’s political class and the people they claim to represent.

This is not just a hypothetical paradox; it is a clear signpost of the direction Nigeria is heading if care is not taken. It speaks to a nation where law and justice are weaponized against the weak, while the rich and powerful write their own rules, and break them without consequence. It is in this context that we must interrogate the absurdity of punishing non-voters with jail terms, while riggers, ballot box snatchers, vote buyers, and political thugs operate with immunity and sometimes with police escorts.

Let us be clear: voting is a civic duty. Citizens ought to participate in shaping the leadership of their country. However, forcing participation through punitive measures, especially in a broken electoral system, is nothing short of state bullying. You do not flog patriotism into the people. Patriotism is earned through trust, transparency, and true leadership, not by coercion.

In a country like Nigeria where elections are marred by irregularities, where INEC’s integrity is frequently questioned, and where the will of the people is routinely subverted, it is grotesquely unjust to criminalize those who have lost faith in the process. How can you jail someone for not showing up to vote when even those who show up are often disenfranchised by late arrival of materials, violence at polling units, or outright manipulation of results?

Instead of strengthening the democratic process by making elections more transparent, credible, and inclusive, the government is flirting with authoritarian tactics, proposing or threatening punitive laws to force civic compliance. This is not democracy. This is not patriotism. This is persecution.

Now let us consider the other side of the coin: those who truly wreck our democracy, the riggers. These are people who brazenly subvert the people’s will. They compromise electoral officers, deploy violence, buy votes with wads of naira and bags of rice, manipulate collation processes, and yet, they walk freely. Some of them even boast about their electoral "prowess" in public, with no fear of consequences. These are the real criminals of democracy. These are the people who deserve jail terms, not the young graduate who, having lost all hope in the system, stays home on Election Day.

Let’s not forget that this hypocrisy is enabled by a system that is fundamentally rigged against the ordinary Nigerian. The judiciary is often too weak or too compromised to deliver true justice. The law enforcement agencies are politicized and selective in their prosecution. The legislature is filled with lawmakers who benefit from the chaos and would never legislate themselves out of privilege. So, what we have is a theatre of absurdity, where the masses are criminalized for inaction, while the elite are rewarded for subversion.

Take for instance the last few general elections. There were widespread reports of vote buying, thuggery, and manipulation of results. Videos circulated online showing party agents distributing cash and food items in exchange for votes. In some areas, polling units were invaded by armed thugs who snatched ballot boxes and assaulted voters. Yet, how many of these offenders were arrested, prosecuted, or jailed? The answer is almost none. But now, imagine jailing a poor, disenfranchised citizen for not showing up to vote in such a hostile environment. That is not justice; it is prejudice.

Worse still, many of the same politicians who rig elections are the ones pushing narratives of “civic responsibility” and the need to “punish apathy.” This is laughably hypocritical. You cannot destroy faith in democracy and then turn around to punish those who no longer believe in it. That is like burning down a church and jailing those who stop attending.

This dangerous double standard is a reflection of the broader rot in the Nigerian system. It is the same logic that jails a poor man for stealing bread while politicians loot billions and are granted state pardons. It is the same logic that unleashes task force officials to harass street traders while turning a blind eye to corporate tax evaders and politically connected criminals. It is the same warped justice that punishes symptoms and leaves the disease untouched.

The painful truth is that Nigeria has become a place where injustice is institutionalized and accountability is cosmetic. People have lost trust in the system not because they hate democracy, but because democracy, as practiced in Nigeria, has been hijacked by thugs in agbada. It has become a cruel joke where elections are not contests of ideas but competitions in rigging capacity.

So, what happens when Nigeria “happens” to you? It means being punished for refusing to legitimize your own oppression. It means being treated as a criminal for daring to be disillusioned. It means being gas lighted by a system that fails you and then blames you for not pretending otherwise.

But this is not a call for apathy. This is a call for reform. If we truly want higher voter turnout, the answer is not in threats of jail time, but in building a system that works. Let elections be free, fair, and credible. Let voters see that their votes count. Let politicians who rig elections be arrested and jailed. Let the electoral umpire be truly independent. Let campaign financing be transparent and monitored. Let there be real consequences for subverting democracy.

Until then, punishing non-voters is nothing but a cruel irony. You do not inspire participation by criminalizing frustration. You inspire participation by restoring hope.

The soul of democracy lies not just in voting, but in the integrity of that vote. It lies in the belief that the people's voice matters, not only in campaign jingles, but in the final results. That belief is what fuels turnout. That belief is what builds nations. And until Nigeria protects that belief with the same energy it threatens its disillusioned citizens, democracy here will remain a mirage.

In closing, if Nigeria wants to stop “happening” to people in the worst way possible, then the system must stop punishing the powerless and emboldening the wicked. Until then, jailing non-voters while shielding riggers will remain one of the darkest ironies of our failed democracy.

And may we never be unlucky enough to become victims of a system we once tried to defend.