Former Vice President and prominent figure in the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has expressed deep concern over the low voter turnout recorded during Saturday’s Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory.
In a statement reacting to the polls, which was shared on X by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku described the turnout, which averaged below 20 percent, with Abuja Municipal Area Council posting just 7.8 percent, as a troubling assessment of the state of Nigeria’s democracy under the current government.
According to the former Vice President, the weak participation in the nation’s capital. often regarded as the symbolic center of the federation, it was not coincidental. He argued that it reflects the predictable consequences of what he characterized as a political climate marred by intolerance, intimidation, and the gradual weakening of opposition voices.
Atiku alleged that the administration of Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress has implemented measures that constrict democratic space, suppress dissent, and create an atmosphere where differing political opinions are treated as threats rather than constructive contributions to national growth.
“When citizens lose faith that their votes matter, democracy begins to die,” Atiku stated. “What we are witnessing 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.”
He cautioned that the continued decline in participatory governance, if not urgently addressed, could cause lasting harm to the democratic framework painstakingly developed over the years.
“A democracy without vibrant opposition, without free political competition, and without public confidence is democracy in name only. If this chokehold is not released, history will record this era as the period when our hard-won freedoms were traded for fear and conformity,” he added.
The former presidential candidate urged opposition parties and democratic stakeholders nationwide to unite and form a common front in defense of the country’s democratic ideals.
“This is no longer about party lines; it is about preserving the Republic. The time to stand together to rescue and rebuild Nigeria is now,” he stated.
