Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticized the notably low voter turnout in the recent Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, describing it as a clear sign that Nigeria's democracy is under severe threat.
In a statement released on Sunday by his media office in Abuja, Atiku, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), attributed the poor participation averaging below 20% across the councils, with Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) recording as low as 7.8% to a toxic political climate fostered by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
He argued that the low turnout stems not from simple voter apathy, but from deliberate actions including intolerance, intimidation, and efforts to undermine opposition parties, which have eroded public trust in the electoral process.
Key quotes from Atiku's statement:
“When citizens lose faith that their votes matter, democracy begins to die.”
“This is not mere voter apathy. It is a direct consequence of an administration that governs with a chokehold on pluralism.”
“Democracy in Nigeria is being suffocated—slowly, steadily, and dangerously.”
The former vice president warned that if this trend of shrinking democratic space continues unchecked, it could cause permanent harm to the nation's democratic institutions, reducing them to mere formalities without genuine competition or public confidence.
He called on opposition parties and democratic advocates to unite and strengthen their efforts to safeguard and rebuild participatory governance in Nigeria.
The elections, held on Saturday, February 21, 2026, saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) dominate by winning five of the six chairmanship seats, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) claimed victory in Gwagwalada.
The ADC, despite its coalition backing, failed to secure any chairmanship position.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com