We are living in a century where everything is modernised. Banking is digital. Elections are expected to be electronic. Communication is instant. Yet, in Nigeria, the very people responsible for making laws for over 200 million citizens are still operating like it is the 19th century.
In both the Senate and the House of Representatives, critical national decisions are still made by shouting “Yay” or “Nay” or by raising hands. There is no accurate count, no transparency, and no accountability.
Just noise and assumption.
The Senate President or Speaker simply declares, “The Yays have it,” and that becomes law. But how many said yes? How many said no? Who voted for what?
Nobody knows.
And that is the problem.
In a functioning democracy, citizens should be able to clearly see how their representatives vote on issues that affect their lives such as fuel prices, education, security, elections, and the economy. But in Nigeria, this process is deliberately kept vague.
Why?
Because opacity protects bad intentions.
It is completely unacceptable that lawmakers who approve billions of naira for their own allowances such as cars, furniture, newspapers, security, and more cannot install a simple electronic voting system in their chambers. A system where each member presses a button to vote YES or NO. A system that records and displays results instantly for all Nigerians to see.
This is not expensive. It is not complicated. It is not new.
So why is it not being done?
Because transparency is dangerous to corruption.
When votes are recorded digitally, citizens can hold lawmakers accountable. Constituents can see who truly represents them. The media can track patterns of decisions. History cannot be rewritten.
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But when voting is done by voice, everything becomes manipulation.
We have seen controversial bills passed without proper scrutiny. Clauses approved without being properly read. Laws rushed through while citizens are distracted by media noise or national crises.
Even worse, some laws are quietly adjusted to protect politicians, including shielding candidates from scrutiny over questionable qualifications, while important bills that could benefit ordinary Nigerians are delayed or ignored.
This is not democracy.
This is control.
Lawmakers are elected to represent their people, not to obey party instructions at the expense of their constituents. The loyalty of a senator or honourable member should first be to the citizens who voted them into office, not to political parties or personal interests.
But accountability does not rest on lawmakers alone.
Nigerians also have a role to play.
Too often, people react only after the damage is done, when fuel prices rise or the cost of living becomes unbearable. Yet, when people speak up early or demand better systems, they are insulted, ignored, or dismissed.
Some citizens even defend the same leaders who keep them in poverty, sometimes in exchange for short term benefits that cannot sustain a family for a week.
This cycle must stop.
The problem begins at the legislative level where laws are created, shaped, and passed. If the foundation is flawed, the entire system suffers.
Nigeria cannot move forward with analogue governance in a digital world.
We need electronic voting in the National Assembly. We need transparent and recorded decisions. We need public access to voting records. We need leaders who prioritise citizens over politics.
Until this happens, the question remains:
Do our lawmakers truly believe in democracy, or are they simply managing power?
The future of Nigeria depends on the answer.
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