Voter apathy as Nigeria’s most profound democratic challenge: Will Anambra State buck the trend?

As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to hold the next off-cycle governorship election in Anambra State, on Saturday, November 8, 2025, voter apathy in the state’s previous elections is a pressing concern that undermines the democratic process.

Off-cycle elections in Nigeria are held outside the general elections schedule due to circumstances such as impeachment, resignation, or annulment of elections by the courts. Anambra State in Nigeria’s southeast region is one of eight states holding such off-cycle elections this year.

Ahead to the election later this year, it is important to look beyond the ballot and examine the underlying issues that could shape the outcome.

Democracy without electorates?

Mirroring a nationwide trend, successive elections in Anambra State have revealed a staggering disparity between registered voters and actual votes cast since the very return of democracy in Nigeria.

According to data from Nigeria’s electoral umpire, only 1.02 million of 2.2 million registered people voted, representing 46.4 per cent during the 1999 governorship election. In 2003, the state had 1.8 million registered voters, but only 878,212 people exercised their vote, accounting for 47.22 per cent. Of the 1.84 million registered voters in 2010, only 302,000 turned out on election day, translating to about 16 per cent of voters.

In 2013, only 465,891 of the total 1,770,127 registered voters voted, representing about 25 per cent. While 2,064,134 residents registered as eligible voters for the Anambra governorship election in 2017, only 448,711 – about 21 per cent – showed up on election day. Meanwhile, the state recorded an all-time low voter turnout in 2021. Of the 2,466,638 registered voters, only 253,388 voted. In simple terms, only 10 per cent of the registered voters or only one in every ten registered voters in the state’s 21 local government areas, consisting of 326 wards and 5,720 polling units, voted during the election.

The low voter turnout in Anambra is a pressing concern that not only erodes the legitimacy of the electoral process but also casts doubt on the effectiveness of Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

Causes of voter apathy

Several factors account for the low voter turnout in the state’s elections. One major factor is said to be a perceived lack of transparency and fairness in the electoral process, as voters feel that the outcome of an election is predetermined. Some electorates, according to previous findings, believe that the electoral process is a sham designed to maintain the status quo rather than bring about genuine change.

Another significant factor contributing to voter apathy is insecurity in the southeastern parts of Nigeria, largely driven by terrorist activities linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group at the forefront of armed conflict to secure the southeastern region’s independence from Nigeria and create an independent state of Biafra.

While Nigeria’s Electoral Act opposes violence connected to elections and is punishable with up to four years imprisonment, or a fine of #500,000, or both punishments in combination, armed thugs usually stoke violence at every election cycle in Anambra.

According to a report by SBM Intelligence, titled ‘A look at potential apathy in the 2021 Anambra Election’, high voter apathy in Anambra is usually worsened by insecurity and escalating violence in the state as electorates who feel unsafe hardly venture out to cast their ballots.

What to do

The implications of low voter turnout and voter apathy in the Anambra State elections are far-reaching and multifaceted. When citizens fail to exercise their right to vote, they inadvertently surrender their influence over the direction of their state. This perpetuates the status quo and leaves those in nominally elected offices practically unaccountable to voters. Additionally, repeated low voter turnout erodes the legitimacy of the democratic process, creating a sense of widespread mistrust in the electoral system.

Reversing voter apathy in Anambra elections requires a smart approach, such as leveraging technology for transparency, where voter registration and real-time election results are made available online as elections take place, ensuring transparency and fairness. This digital approach can help build trust among citizens and increase their participation in the electoral process.

Moreover, collaborative efforts between the electoral body, politicians, parties, and citizens are crucial in creating a safe and inclusive environment. By extending an effective community policing approach to securing elections, citizens can feel empowered to contribute to decision-making processes that impact their lives.

However, to bring about lasting change, there’s a need to go beyond awareness raising and community engagement strategies to address the root causes of electoral violence and the disturbances witnessed in previous elections cycles. Without systemic interventions to reverse the ingrained culture of political violence and unresolved agitations, it will be nigh impossible to increase citizens’ re-engagement in the democratic process.

Adejumo Kabir is a senior associate with GGA-Nigeria. He is an expert with many years of experience in community development work and promoting governance accountability. He is a 2019 recipient of the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence and a 2020 recipient of the Thomson Foundation Young Journalist Award in the United Kingdom.