Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has announced he will refrain from voting in Nigerian elections unless significant reforms are made to improve the electoral process.
Obasanjo shared this stance during the Youth Governance Dialogue 2024 conference, expressing deep frustration with Nigeria’s current democratic system.
In his address, the former president criticized what he described as a failing democratic system, stating, “Liberal democracy is not working for us. And that’s why we are still facing the same issues. Your votes don’t count in Nigeria. Don’t listen to them.”
Obasanjo argued that without meaningful changes, the country’s democracy would continue to fall short of representing the people’s will.
Highlighting his disenchantment, Obasanjo declared that he would abstain from future elections unless these issues are addressed, saying, “Unless things change, and I mean that I’m not going to vote in Nigeria again. Because it doesn’t matter who you vote for. It doesn’t matter your number.”
He further questioned the legitimacy of the judicial process in electoral matters, claiming that the courts often fail to rectify election-related grievances.
Former President Obasanjo’s comments reflect growing concerns about the effectiveness of Nigeria’s electoral system and the challenges in ensuring that citizens’ votes genuinely influence outcomes.