Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress chieftain Atiku Abubakar has expressed serious alarm regarding the sparse voter participation in Saturday’s FCT Area Council elections.
In a response shared by his media aide, Paul Ibe, on X, Atiku pointed to the average turnout of less than 20 percent—with the Abuja Municipal Area Council reaching a mere 7.8 percent—as a “damning verdict on the health of Nigeria’s democracy under the current administration.”
Atiku contended that the lack of engagement in the nation’s capital was a deliberate result of a political climate he believes is defined by intimidation and the suppression of opposition voices.
He accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the All Progressives Congress of implementing policies that stifle dissent and treat opposing viewpoints as threats.
According to Atiku, “When citizens lose faith that their votes matter, democracy begins to die.”
He further characterized the situation as more than just disinterest, stating, “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.”
Atiku warned that if this trend of eroding participatory governance continues, it could cause permanent damage to the country’s democratic foundation.
The former presidential candidate emphasized that a system lacking free competition and public trust is “democracy in name only,” adding that “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.”
In his closing remarks, Atiku urged opposition groups and democratic advocates to put aside their differences and form a cohesive alliance. He stressed that the situation has transcended partisan politics, asserting, “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.”
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