Atiku decries low voter turnout in FCT council elections
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the low voter turnout recorded during the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, saying it signals a dangerous weakening of democratic participation in Nigeria. Atiku described the turnout, which averaged below 20 per cent with figures as low as about 7.8 per cent in some councils, as a “damning verdict on the health of Nigeria’s democracy under the current administration.” He said the poor participation was not mere voter apathy but the result of a political environment he claimed has been poisoned by intolerance, intimidation and the systematic weakening of opposition voices. Atiku further accused the government of President Bola Tinubu of shrinking democratic space, harassing dissenters and treating alternative political views as threats rather than contributions to national development, remarks that have reverberated across political circles following the election. He warned that when citizens lose faith that their votes matter, “democracy begins to die,” and called on opposition parties and democratic forces to unite to preserve the republic and resist what he characterised as a chokehold on pluralism. Atiku’s comments reflect growing concerns among some political stakeholders that declining civic engagement and perceptions of restricted political competition could undermine the foundations of Nigeria’s democratic process, especially as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.
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