Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed concern over the low voter turnout recorded in Saturday’s Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory, describing it as a troubling indicator of the state of the nation’s democracy.
In a statement released through his media aide Paul Ibe on X, the former Vice President — a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress — said the turnout, which averaged below 20 per cent, with the Abuja Municipal Area Council recording 7.8 per cent, represents a damning verdict on the health of Nigeria’s democracy under the current administration.
Atiku argued that the low participation in the nation’s capital is not accidental but the predictable outcome of a political environment he claims has been poisoned by intolerance, intimidation and the systematic weakening of opposition voices.
He alleged that the administration of President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress has pursued policies that shrink democratic space, harass dissenters and create a climate where alternative political viewpoints are treated as threats rather than contributions to national development.
“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 warned that the continued erosion of participatory governance could inflict irreversible damage on the democratic fabric built over decades if left unchecked.
“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 Vice President also called on opposition parties and democratic forces nationwide to close ranks and form a united front.
“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.
