Former presidential spokesman Olusegun Adeniyi has expressed concern over Nigeria’s steadily declining voter turnout, describing it as evidence of a deepening crisis of trust in the country’s democratic process.
He made the remarks on Friday while speaking at the June 12 edition of The Platform, organised by The Covenant Nation in Lagos.
Adeniyi argued that Nigeria’s voter apathy crisis is fundamentally about trust, describing it as “the catastrophic erosion of trust” between citizens and the political system.
“At its core, Nigeria’s voter apathy crisis is about trust, or rather, the catastrophic erosion of trust. Therefore, the uncomfortable truth our political class must face is that the democracy we practise does not impact enough Nigerians to make them care about voting,” he said.
The journalist noted that with each election cycle, more Nigerians are opting out of the electoral process, warning that the trend extends beyond presidential elections and reflects a loss of confidence in governance.
“The trajectory is unmistakable. With each election cycle, more Nigerians are choosing not to choose. Meanwhile, this problem is associated with all our elections and not just the presidential,” he said.
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According to him, the conventional explanations for low voter turnout, including logistical failures, insecurity, long distances to polling units, movement restrictions on election day, voter suppression, inadequate voter education, fear of violence, and poor understanding of the electoral process, are all valid but fail to address the underlying issue.
Adeniyi questioned the legitimacy of governing with the support of only a small fraction of eligible voters, saying politicians often celebrate electoral victories without confronting the implications of widespread voter disengagement.
“Our politicians have been quick to celebrate their victories and issue acceptance speeches about mandate and democratic legitimacy, but there is a question they must now confront: what does it mean to govern with the consent of so few? The question is not whether Nigerians want to vote; the registration numbers prove they do. The question is whether they believe their vote matters.
“Until citizens can see a clear line between the ballot and a better life, the silence at the polls will only grow louder. Yet history shows that when people give up on the ballot, they find other ways to make their voices heard, and those ways are rarely peaceful or orderly,” he said.
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