Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the outcome of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, describing the low voter turnout recorded in Saturday’s polls as a troubling sign of democratic decline under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement posted on his verified X handle on Sunday, Atiku said the poor turnout represents a damning verdict on the state of Nigeria’s democracy, particularly in the nation’s capital, where civic participation should ordinarily be robust. According to him, the outcome reflects growing public disillusionment with the electoral process rather than mere voter apathy.
The former presidential candidate and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) argued that the situation is the result of an increasingly hostile political climate marked by intolerance, intimidation, and the systematic weakening of opposition voices. He alleged that the Tinubu-led government is deliberately shrinking the democratic space by harassing dissenters and treating alternative political views as threats to state authority.
“When citizens lose faith that their votes matter, democracy begins to die. This is not mere voter apathy. Democracy in Nigeria is being suffocated—slowly and dangerously,” Atiku said.
He warned that the continued erosion of participatory governance could inflict long-term damage on Nigeria’s democratic foundations if left unchecked. Atiku stressed that low engagement in the Federal Capital Territory should serve as a wake-up call to all stakeholders about the health of the country’s political system.
The former Vice President further called on opposition parties to set aside differences and unite in defence of democracy, urging them to resist what he described as creeping authoritarianism and to work collectively to restore public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral and democratic institutions.
