Former Vice President of Nigeria and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has raised concerns over what he described as the alarmingly low voter turnout recorded during Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections.
In a statement issued by his media office in Abuja on February 22, 2026, Atiku described the turnout — reportedly averaging below 20 per cent, with the Abuja Municipal Area Council recording about 7.8 per cent — as a troubling reflection of the state of Nigeria’s democracy.
According to him, such low civic participation in the nation’s capital, which he referred to as the symbolic heartbeat of the federation, should not be dismissed as mere voter apathy.
Atiku, who holds the traditional title of Waziri Adamawa, alleged that the current administration led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) has fostered a political climate that discourages opposition and weakens pluralism.
He claimed that the government has pursued policies that shrink democratic space, intimidate dissenting voices, and create conditions where alternative political viewpoints are treated as threats rather than legitimate contributions to governance.
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“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.”
The former vice president warned that continued erosion of participatory governance could inflict long-term damage on Nigeria’s democratic institutions, which he noted were built through decades of struggle and sacrifice.
“A democracy without vibrant opposition, without free political competition, and without public confidence is democracy in name only. If this trajectory continues, history may judge this era as one in which hard-won freedoms were compromised,” he said.
Atiku called on opposition parties and democratic stakeholders across the country to close ranks and form a united front to safeguard the republic.
“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 urged.
The FCT Area Council elections, conducted across the six area councils of Abuja, have sparked debate over voter engagement levels and the broader health of democratic participation in the country.