The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has expressed his desire to see the enactment of legislation which will make it mandatory for Nigerians to vote.
“I would like to see a constitutional amendment that will make it a duty for the citizen to vote, rather than a right,” he said on Tuesday at the 6th Babatunde Raji Fashola Gabfest that was held in Lagos.
He was reacting to the perceived increase in Permanent Voter Card collection and what should motivate the citizens to get involved in voting their representatives into elective offices.
Fashola insisted that there was no such thing as a perfect system, and he went on to say that he does not agree with the view that the situation in Nigeria is hopeless.
“Democracy is not divine,” said the minister who stressed the need for people to continue to build. “It’s a manmade idea – created by men… democracy is not perfect and so, must be constantly modified,” he added.
The former governor of Lagos State also spoke about different arms of government and how much influence they wield in shaping the nation.
“The local government is the most important government. Let us pay attention to the local government… because we all seem to be fixated on who becomes the president,” he said.
The event themed ‘What are we voting for’ started with a panel discussion centred on the qualities of the next set of leaders Nigerians should look out for.