Human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has harshly criticized Nigeria’s lawmakers, following the withdrawal of a controversial bill that aimed to make voting compulsory for all eligible citizens.
In a statement released over the weekend, Adeyanju described the compulsory voting bill as a clear sign that many members of the National Assembly have run out of meaningful work to do. He said rather than fix serious national problems like insecurity and unemployment, lawmakers were busy drafting laws that would punish citizens for not voting.
“This is what happens when lawmakers are jobless. Instead of working on things that matter to the people, they are trying to force voting with threats of jail or heavy fines. It’s laughable,” Adeyanju said.
The now-withdrawn compulsory voting bill had proposed a fine of up to ₦100,000 or six months in prison for citizens who fail to vote during elections without a valid reason. The proposal was met with public outrage, leading to its quiet withdrawal.
Adeyanju argued that the root cause of voter apathy is not laziness or indifference, but a deep lack of trust in the political system. “People don’t vote because they don’t believe their votes matter anymore. They’ve seen the same promises made over and over, with no real change. Instead of punishing them, our leaders should ask why people are staying away from the polls,” he said.
He went further to suggest a major restructuring of the National Assembly. “Make it part-time. Let only serious professionals who have real jobs and experience come in to serve. That way, we’ll stop seeing these kinds of ridiculous bills,” he said.
Adeyanju also proposed that lawmakers should earn what National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members earn — around ₦77,000 monthly — instead of the huge salaries and allowances they currently receive. According to him, this would ensure that only those truly interested in service, not wealth or power, would seek public office.
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“This country needs a new kind of politics — one where people serve, not enrich themselves. If you reduce the pay and make the job part-time, the quality of our laws will improve, and this nonsense will stop,” he added.
