NEWS
Nigeria Senate Distances Bamidele, Adaramodu From Controversial ₦50,000 Fine Proposal
The Nigeria Senate has moved to clarify the controversy surrounding a proposed ₦50,000 fine for persons convicted of preaching, hawking or trading inside commercial vehicles, distancing Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, from the proposal.
The clarification follows growing public criticism and widespread outrage over provisions contained in the Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which has triggered heated debate across the country.
Many Nigerians have expressed concern over the proposed penalties, particularly against the backdrop of the prevailing economic difficulties and the dependence of millions of citizens on informal activities such as roadside trading, hawking and religious evangelism to earn a living.
The controversy has also generated questions about who sponsored or introduced the contentious provision, with some reports and social media posts attributing it to Bamidele and Adaramodu.
However, Adaramodu has rejected the attribution, explaining that neither he nor the Senate Leader introduced the proposal. According to him, the bill originated from the House of Representatives and should not be presented as an initiative of the two senators.
“Even erroneously, some people are saying, because I saw it on social media, that it is the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele and Senator Yemi Adaramodu who proposed it. How? I find that baffling because I did not raise my hand, nor did the Senate Leader. The two of us didn’t propose any motion,“ he said.
The senator’s clarification comes amid intense public interest in the legislative process and growing concern that provisions debated on the floor of the National Assembly are sometimes interpreted as though they have already become enforceable laws.
Adaramodu therefore stressed the distinction between debating a bill and passing legislation, noting that a proposal can undergo substantial scrutiny and amendments before it eventually becomes law.
“When things are brought into the floor of the Assembly, and it is debated, after debate, it does not translate to law automatically,“ he said.
He explained that proposed legislation must successfully navigate several stages of the constitutional lawmaking process before it can take effect. These include consideration by the relevant chambers, committee-level scrutiny, concurrence between the Senate and House of Representatives, harmonisation of differences where necessary and, ultimately, presidential assent.
The explanation effectively places the controversial proposal within the broader legislative process rather than treating it as an immediately enforceable directive.
The proposed provision has nevertheless continued to generate nationwide debate, particularly because it touches on activities that are common features of public transportation across Nigeria.
Religious groups have raised concerns over the implications for preaching and evangelism, while civil society organisations and members of the public have questioned whether criminalising or imposing financial penalties on such activities inside commercial vehicles is appropriate, especially at a time when many Nigerians are struggling with rising living costs.
The Senate, however, has maintained that the controversial provision is not necessarily a new restriction introduced by the current National Assembly. Rather, lawmakers have pointed to provisions contained in the existing Federal Road Safety Corps Act dating back to 2007.
The ongoing controversy therefore highlights not only the substance of the proposed amendment but also the importance of understanding how bills move through Nigeria’s legislative process before they can acquire the force of law.
For now, the ₦50,000 penalty remains at the centre of a growing national conversation, while the Senate’s latest clarification seeks to separate the lawmakers being accused of sponsoring the measure from the actual legislative origin and process surrounding the proposal.