Chidinma Eferebo
Every election season, many Nigerians express frustration over bad governance and the widening gap between citizens and political leaders. Yet, when it is time to vote, large numbers stay away from the polls. Some believe their votes will not count; others are discouraged by broken promises and distrust in political institutions.
The truth is that democracy does not fail only when leaders abuse power or engage in corrupt practices. It also weakens when citizens surrender their voices. In Nigeria, political disengagement has increasingly become both a symptom of public frustration and a condition that benefits those who profit from the absence of public participation.
Political disengagement occurs when citizens withdraw from democratic processes, including voting and other forms of civic participation through which they can influence public decisions. Although such withdrawal may seem harmless on the surface and a matter of personal decision, it often reflects deeper social and political realities. People’s relationship with politics is shaped by the conditions under which they live. Economic hardship, social exclusion, and lack of public services do not simply affect material wellbeing; they also shape how citizens perceive political institutions and their ability to influence public outcomes.
For some, these conditions can generate a stronger desire to demand change. For others, repeated experiences of broken promises by political actors and unresponsive institutions can produce disillusionment, fear, and resignation. In both cases, political behaviour emerges from the same social conditions. The difference often lies in whether citizens view participation as a meaningful pathway to overturn the existing order. For many Nigerians, the daily struggle to secure food, shelter, water, healthcare, and employment has deepened questions about the responsiveness of political institutions, as well as lowered their belief in the ability of democratic processes to improve their lives.
This loss of confidence has significant implications for governance. Voting, for instance, remains one of the most powerful tools available to the people. It enables ordinary citizens to influence public policy, hold elected officials accountable, and determine the direction of national development. Yet voter participation in Nigeria has steadily declined over the years. According to data published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), voter turnout dropped significantly from earlier election cycles, reaching approximately 35 per cent in 2019 and about 27 per cent in the 2023 general election.
The consequences of this trend extend beyond election day. When fewer people vote, organised political interests often gain disproportionate influence. Politicians who rely on narrow support bases and patronage networks benefit when broad sections of the population stay away from the polls. It is also important to note that political disengagement can be actively cultivated. Misinformation, electoral violence, and persistent narratives that elections are predetermined can convince citizens that participation is futile. Whatever the case, when fewer people engage in democratic processes, public scrutiny weakens and governments become less answerable to the wider public.
These concerns are especially relevant for young people. Nigeria has one of the world’s largest youth populations, and the decisions made by political leaders today will shape their access to economic opportunities and social welfare for decades to come. Yet many young citizens feel politically excluded amid the country’s worsening socio-economic conditions. At the same time, recent history demonstrates that young Nigerians are far from politically indifferent. The #EndSARS movement helped awaken a new generation to the possibilities of civic action and collective organising. That political awakening was reflected in the heightened enthusiasm and participation of many young voters during the 2023 elections.
Most young Nigerians remain invested in social and political change but are increasingly sceptical of formal institutions and their ability to respond to citizens’ aspirations. The reaction to the outcomes of the 2023 general elections reflects this tension. Electoral participation was widely embraced as a pathway to change. When expectations were not met, frustration gave way to fatigue and, in some cases, withdrawal.
Yet political apathy rarely functions as an effective form of resistance. More often, disengagement is perceived as acceptance or indifference, allowing existing power structures to remain unchallenged. Reclaiming the vote involves much more than casting a ballot every four years. It requires sustained civic engagement through community organising, public education, informed debate, policy advocacy, and continuous scrutiny of candidates and elected officials in order to entrench progressive interests in democratic processes. Technology also offers new opportunities for enabling collective action and mounting pressure for greater accountability and inclusive governance.
Ultimately, Nigeria’s democratic future will be shaped not only by those who hold public office but also by citizens who choose to participate despite the odds. Democracy fulfils its promise only when citizens remain active participants in public life rather than spectators to decisions made on their behalf.
Eferebo is a Project Assistant at Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA).