The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections on Saturday saw a startlingly low voter participation, according to former vice president Atiku Abubakar**, who warned that Nigeria’s democracy is in grave danger.
In a statement released on Sunday by the Atiku Media Office, the leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) said that the turnout, which he said averaged less than 20% and that the Abuja Municipal Area Council recorded roughly 7.8%, is a concerning sign of waning public trust in the electoral process.
Atiku contended that the poor turnout in the country’s capital was a foreseeable outcome of what he described as a political environment characterized by intimidation, intolerance, and the weakening of opposition voices.
By allegedly harassing dissenters and pressuring political actors, the Waziri Adamawa accused President Bola Tinubu’s government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of purposefully reducing the democratic space.
“Democracy begins to die when citizens lose faith that their votes matter,” Atiku warned, adding that the nation is seeing more than just ordinary voter indifference.
He warned that if participatory governance is not immediately addressed, it may continue to erode and cause long-term harm to Nigeria’s democratic foundations.
Emphasizing that the moment transcends partisan concerns, the former vice president urged opposition parties and pro-democracy organizations to join and establish a united front.
“This is now about protecting the Republic, not party lines. The statement further said, “Now is the time to unite in order to rescue and rebuild Nigeria.”
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