NewStats: 3,259,628 , 8,170,619 topics. Date: Sunday, 25 May 2025 at 05:44 PM 3f2k66

OPINION:

By PastorKay

Politicians Who Break Election Promises should Be Jailed; Not Citizens Who Don’t Vote:

The recent proposal by the National Assembly to mandate compulsory voting in Nigeria is not only tone-deaf but dangerously misguided. While high voter turnout is a desirable feature of any democracy, attempting to achieve it through coercion rather than trust is counterproductive. Instead of punishing citizens for their apathy, lawmakers should be asking: why are people refusing to vote? And more importantly, what can be done to restore faith in the political process?

Voting is a democratic right—not a state-imposed obligation. The right to vote includes the right not to vote, especially in protest of a political system that has repeatedly failed its people. For decades, Nigerians have cast their votes in the hope of change, only to be met with the same pattern of empty promises, corruption, and neglect. The problem is not voter laziness; the problem is broken trust. Nigerians are not refusing to vote because they are unpatriotic—they are refusing because they are tired of being deceived.

If the National Assembly is truly interested in rescuing Nigeria’s democratic integrity, the real legislative priority should be holding elected officials able. Instead of introducing a bill that criminalizes citizens for not voting, they should be debating a law that mandates prison sentences for politicians who fail to fulfill their campaign promises. That would be a bill rooted in justice, not political deflection.

A politician’s manifesto is not a poetic wish list—it is a binding social contract. When candidates stand on podiums and pledge jobs, security, infrastructure, and reforms, they are not entertaining the public—they are making commitments that should carry consequences if willfully abandoned. Introducing legal penalties for deliberate and consistent failure to deliver on campaign promises would revolutionize Nigerian politics. It would separate the serious leaders from the opportunists and elevate public service above mere political ambition.

Such a law would also dramatically reduce voter apathy, not by force, but by restoring hope. People are more likely to participate in a system they believe in. If Nigerians knew that elected officials would face real consequences for betraying public trust, they would have a renewed reason to engage. Compulsory voting, on the other hand, addresses none of these underlying issues. It merely disguises the symptoms while ignoring the disease.

It is not the Nigerian voter who is failing democracy—it is the political elite who promise transformation but deliver excuses. Until we reverse this trend, no amount of forced participation will bring legitimacy to our elections. A system that demands ability from its citizens must first demand ability from its leaders.

Let us stop punishing the victims of bad governance and start punishing those who exploit public trust for personal gain. Let us focus our legislative energy not on coercing votes, but on building a system where votes truly count—and where broken promises carry a price.

Only then will we begin to rebuild the kind of democracy Nigerians deserve.

PasorKay is a Political Analyst and Social Activist.

Exactly how it should be. China is a great example in dealing with corruption

Exactly

They rather die

Correct !

In a democratic Country like Nigeria, voting is a civic right, not a forced duty. Jailing someone for not voting undermines personal liberty which is a core democratic value.

When politicians rig elections, bribe voters, intimidate opponents, or falsify results, they are actively destroying the democratic process. If politicians face no consequences for destroying the democratic process, the citizens will lose faith in the system, thereby not voting during elections.

Jailing non-voters punishes powerlessness, jailing corrupt politicians punishes abuse of power... The later like the writer rightly pointed out, deserves the punishment, not the former.

Fact.


Our political class are jokers

kfasian:
OPINION:

By PastorKay

Politicians Who Break Election Promises should Be Jailed; Not Citizens Who Don’t Vote:

The recent proposal by the National Assembly to mandate compulsory voting in Nigeria is not only tone-deaf but dangerously misguided. While high voter turnout is a desirable feature of any democracy, attempting to achieve it through coercion rather than trust is counterproductive. Instead of punishing citizens for their apathy, lawmakers should be asking: why are people refusing to vote? And more importantly, what can be done to restore faith in the political process?

Voting is a democratic right—not a state-imposed obligation. The right to vote includes the right not to vote, especially in protest of a political system that has repeatedly failed its people. For decades, Nigerians have cast their votes in the hope of change, only to be met with the same pattern of empty promises, corruption, and neglect. The problem is not voter laziness; the problem is broken trust. Nigerians are not refusing to vote because they are unpatriotic—they are refusing because they are tired of being deceived.

If the National Assembly is truly interested in rescuing Nigeria’s democratic integrity, the real legislative priority should be holding elected officials able. Instead of introducing a bill that criminalizes citizens for not voting, they should be debating a law that mandates prison sentences for politicians who fail to fulfill their campaign promises. That would be a bill rooted in justice, not political deflection.

A politician’s manifesto is not a poetic wish list—it is a binding social contract. When candidates stand on podiums and pledge jobs, security, infrastructure, and reforms, they are not entertaining the public—they are making commitments that should carry consequences if willfully abandoned. Introducing legal penalties for deliberate and consistent failure to deliver on campaign promises would revolutionize Nigerian politics. It would separate the serious leaders from the opportunists and elevate public service above mere political ambition.

Such a law would also dramatically reduce voter apathy, not by force, but by restoring hope. People are more likely to participate in a system they believe in. If Nigerians knew that elected officials would face real consequences for betraying public trust, they would have a renewed reason to engage. Compulsory voting, on the other hand, addresses none of these underlying issues. It merely disguises the symptoms while ignoring the disease.

It is not the Nigerian voter who is failing democracy—it is the political elite who promise transformation but deliver excuses. Until we reverse this trend, no amount of forced participation will bring legitimacy to our elections. A system that demands ability from its citizens must first demand ability from its leaders.

Let us stop punishing the victims of bad governance and start punishing those who exploit public trust for personal gain. Let us focus our legislative energy not on coercing votes, but on building a system where votes truly count—and where broken promises carry a price.

Only then will we begin to rebuild the kind of democracy Nigerians deserve.

PasorKay is a Political Analyst and Social Activist.

Well said.
How will they rig when nobody comes out to vote?

Let’s start by reviewing the APC scam change of 2015.

Jail those frauds who promised 3 million jobs a year.

There's a level you get to in Nigeria and you become automatically above the law.

Primusinterpares:
Fact.

Our political class are jokers

If you are not a bigger joker than they are, can you please tell us who you expect to jail the politicians when they are the ones who are ALLOWED to form governments at the local, state and federal levels

onyxo76:
Well said.
How will they rig when nobody comes out to vote?

When the cat is away, is it easier or more difficult for the mouse to play

anonimi:
“The worst illiterate is the political illiterate, he doesn’t hear, doesn’t speak, nor participates in the political events.

He doesn’t know the cost of life, the price of the bean, of the fish, of the flour, of the rent, of the shoes and of the medicine, all depends on political decisions. The political illiterate is so stupid that he is proud and swells his chest saying that he hates politics.

The slowpoke doesn’t know that, from his political ignorance is born the prostitute, the abandoned child, and the worst thieves of all, the bad politician, corrupted and flunky of the national and multinational companies.”

― Bertolt Brecht

They make laws that protects them from being tried or indicted but aim to instill fear and havoc in the lives of normal Nigerians.


The judiciary and tribunal are already bastardized and compromised.


Once a one party system is actualized, the court would lose its value.


In a sane country, the court should be richer than the politicians.



I still can't believe how about 180M Nigerians lost to Politicians.

If the Govt says it will jail who ever did not vote. OK., let Nigerians united and insist that a motion of "Executing any corrupt official" should be compulsory and must be ed in the high chamber.

No jail but paying fine should be better.

If there is a penalty for not paying tax, then there should be a penalty for not voting.

Since the beginning of the national assembly, this set are the worst of them all, zero knowledge of the constitution and the law, majority of them don't know their right and their wrong, they just want to be called Honourable and drive in flashy cars..

I did more better than them, when I was a 2term speaker of my faculty during my school days 15years ago

Nigeria has a long way to go if we want to move forward

jmoore:
No jail but paying fine should be better.

If there is a penalty for not paying tax, then there should be a penalty for not voting.

If there's 80% plus turn out for voting, most of these polithievians do not stand a chance of being elected

It would make it easier for them to falsify results and allocate fantastic figures to themselves.

Nigerian government will do anything to suffocate the poor masses

Nothing will ever make me vote in Nigeria election.




Never.

Funny.

Like one of my guys hilariously suggested, let all the contestants make a post at the same time on Facebook, Twitter, or maybe nairaland. The contestant with the highest total number of likes wins.

Dem go arrest tire . Las las political thugs go dey Waka as dem like. Arrest politicians first then we will go know say una dey serious.

Absolutely SPOT ON!👍👍👌👌👌😎😎
Very stvpid and useless govt 💯💯💯💯

kfasian:
OPINION:

By PastorKay

Politicians Who Break Election Promises should Be Jailed; Not Citizens Who Don’t Vote:

The recent proposal by the National Assembly to mandate compulsory voting in Nigeria is not only tone-deaf but dangerously misguided. While high voter turnout is a desirable feature of any democracy, attempting to achieve it through coercion rather than trust is counterproductive. Instead of punishing citizens for their apathy, lawmakers should be asking: why are people refusing to vote? And more importantly, what can be done to restore faith in the political process?

Voting is a democratic right—not a state-imposed obligation. The right to vote includes the right not to vote, especially in protest of a political system that has repeatedly failed its people. For decades, Nigerians have cast their votes in the hope of change, only to be met with the same pattern of empty promises, corruption, and neglect. The problem is not voter laziness; the problem is broken trust. Nigerians are not refusing to vote because they are unpatriotic—they are refusing because they are tired of being deceived.

If the National Assembly is truly interested in rescuing Nigeria’s democratic integrity, the real legislative priority should be holding elected officials able. Instead of introducing a bill that criminalizes citizens for not voting, they should be debating a law that mandates prison sentences for politicians who fail to fulfill their campaign promises. That would be a bill rooted in justice, not political deflection.

A politician’s manifesto is not a poetic wish list—it is a binding social contract. When candidates stand on podiums and pledge jobs, security, infrastructure, and reforms, they are not entertaining the public—they are making commitments that should carry consequences if willfully abandoned. Introducing legal penalties for deliberate and consistent failure to deliver on campaign promises would revolutionize Nigerian politics. It would separate the serious leaders from the opportunists and elevate public service above mere political ambition.

Such a law would also dramatically reduce voter apathy, not by force, but by restoring hope. People are more likely to participate in a system they believe in. If Nigerians knew that elected officials would face real consequences for betraying public trust, they would have a renewed reason to engage. Compulsory voting, on the other hand, addresses none of these underlying issues. It merely disguises the symptoms while ignoring the disease.

It is not the Nigerian voter who is failing democracy—it is the political elite who promise transformation but deliver excuses. Until we reverse this trend, no amount of forced participation will bring legitimacy to our elections. A system that demands ability from its citizens must first demand ability from its leaders.

Let us stop punishing the victims of bad governance and start punishing those who exploit public trust for personal gain. Let us focus our legislative energy not on coercing votes, but on building a system where votes truly count—and where broken promises carry a price.

Only then will we begin to rebuild the kind of democracy Nigerians deserve.

PasorKay is a Political Analyst and Social Activist.

they have not jail the one who looted every where dry, now the one who fail their promises they go fit jail.

Aje...that bill should be nothing less than DOA!
These bunch of politiefcians are gradually pushing the Nigerian people to do something directly to them!

Yesoo but my concern is the quality of brains that are in this hallowed chamber of our national Assembly.... this guys seem dull without the thinking capabilities to move this country forward....how can one think of jailing or blame people who to come out to vote under the sun only for INEC to rig election, if they decide to stay away from the polling bot...infact some have come to think that those who come out to vote indirectly is giving INEC the numbers to play with...if people refuse to participate in elections, there will be no room for Rigging....however the get people back to polling bots ,INEC should be clearly independent and the power to appoint INEC chairman should be given to supreme Court judges