Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticized the outcome of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, describing the low voter turnout recorded during Saturday’s polls as a troubling sign for Nigeria’s democracy.
In a statement shared on his verified X account on Sunday, Atiku said the poor participation in the elections reflected what he termed a growing crisis of confidence in the country’s democratic system under President Bola Tinubu.
The chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) argued that the low turnout in the nation’s capital was not coincidental but symptomatic of what he described as a toxic political climate characterized by intolerance, intimidation, and the suppression of opposition voices.
According to him, the Tinubu administration is narrowing the democratic space, targeting dissenters, and creating an atmosphere where alternative political opinions are perceived as threats.
“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,” he stated.
The Adamawa-born politician warned that continued erosion of participatory governance could inflict long-term damage on Nigeria’s democratic foundations. He urged opposition parties to close ranks and work together to safeguard the country’s democracy.
The elections saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) secure five of the six FCT Area Council chairmanship seats, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won one. The ADC failed to clinch any seat in the polls, which were widely reported to have been marked by low voter turnout.
