Experts say the increasing voter apathy, due to a lack of interest or motivation to participate in electoral processes, poses a serious threat to democracy in the country.
They made this known during a webinar organised by the Rule of Law Development Foundation on Wednesday in Abuja.
The seminar had the theme “The Threat of Voter Apathy and Its Implications on the Legitimacy of Upcoming General Elections.”
They agreed that although democracy is anchored on the participation of citizens in the selection of their leaders, increasing voter apathy raises concerns about the health of democracy and the legitimacy of electoral outcomes.
Alhassan Umar, SAN, representing the INEC chairman, noted that in Nigeria and many other democracies, recent electoral cycles have recorded declining voter turnout despite increasing voter registration figures.
Mr Umar reiterated that when a significant proportion of eligible voters abstain from voting, the credibility and representativeness of elected governments are called into question.
“Nigeria has witnessed a troubling decline in voter turnout over successive elections. While voter registration has expanded due to technological innovations and continuous registration processes, actual participation has not kept pace.
“Voter turnout in general elections has steadily declined since 1999. Youth participation remains disproportionately low despite constituting a large demographic, and urban voter apathy appears more pronounced than rural participation in some instances.”
The senior lawyer enumerated some of the causes of voter apathy, including lack of confidence in electoral institutions, vote manipulation, and opaqueness that have eroded trust in the system.
“Electoral violence and insecurity: the prevalence of violence during elections discourages participation since many voters prioritise personal safety over civic duty, particularly in areas prone to conflict.
“Widespread poverty and economic challenges shift citizens’ focus from civic engagement to survival because some people believe that elections are often perceived as having little impact on immediate economic realities.”
Other causes include perceived ineffectiveness of voting, where a significant number of citizens believe that their votes do not count or that electoral outcomes are predetermined.
“Other causes include political disillusionment, unfulfilled campaign promises, poor governance, and corruption, which contribute to widespread disillusionment with political actors and institutions.
“Difficulties such as long queues, delayed voting processes, malfunction of electoral technology, and inaccessible polling units, among others, also contribute.”
Lai Olurode of the Wings Schools, Iwo, added that the culpability of the political elite and the greed for votes and power add to the rising voter apathy.
He noted that politics, as presently constituted, does not afford a window for effective participation of the generality of the downtrodden.
“Election day role is for the downtrodden, while the remaining days are for the affluent class who appropriate most of the state resources for their cronies and family members.
“Voter apathy is not to be treated in isolation from economic and political forces shaping our lives. A multi-causal analysis will reveal its deep and surface triggers far beyond rhetorics.
“The concern for voter apathy by the elite may not be driven by altruistic and public interest concerns but rather by the greed for dominance and votes grab.”
The experts made some recommendations that would help improve the legitimacy of the electoral process.
They recommended that electoral management bodies should enhance transparency, and that government should invest in sustained civic education programmes targeting youths and first-time voters.
They called for a holistic, rather than peripheral, response to widespread poverty, provision of social services and existential needs, and restoration of vibrant political parties through internal party democracy.
They also want security agencies to ensure a violence-free electoral environment, legal reforms to address electoral offences, and swift prosecution of offenders.
Political parties, they said, should also adopt internal democracy and credible candidate selection processes.
According to them, civil society organisations should equally intensify voter mobilisation efforts, while the media should promote issue-based campaigns rather than sensationalism.
(NAN)