Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has raised alarm over Nigeria’s declining voter turnout, warning that the trend poses a grave danger to the country’s democratic future.
Speaking in Owerri during an Independence Day interactive session with clerics, professionals, and citizens, El-Rufai said the steady fall in citizens’ participation at the polls reflects a growing crisis of confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system.
He recalled that in 2003, more than 60 per cent of registered voters trooped to the polls, but by the 2023 general elections, the figure had plummeted to about 27 per cent.
“This collapse in voter enthusiasm is not just a statistic, it is a warning sign. It tells us Nigerians are losing faith that their votes truly count.
“No democracy can survive when the people stop believing in the ballot,” he declared.
El-Rufai argued that constitutional texts alone cannot sustain democracy without an underlying consensus among political elites on the sanctity of citizenship and the fairness of competition.
He described this as the “invisible glue” that keeps stable democracies functioning.
According to him, rebuilding trust in Nigeria’s elections requires bold reforms, including the full adoption of electronic voting and real-time transmission of results ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Picture an election where every voter is verified electronically, votes digitally, and sees results transmitted instantly and transparently. That is how we rebuild confidence, one credible ballot at a time,” El-Rufai said.
The former governor also cautioned that governance should not be reduced to a battle for political control, stressing that true leadership must focus on solving poverty, unemployment, and infrastructural deficits.
He insisted that Nigeria’s survival depends on leaders embracing federalism, credible elections, and consensus-building, warning that “without trust in the process, our democracy becomes an empty shell.”
El-Rufai’s remarks come at a time when many Nigerians are expressing disillusionment with the political system, with analysts noting that low turnout in recent elections could become the country’s biggest democratic threat yet.