The governorship and state House of Assembly elections holding across Nigeria have so far witnessed an apathy of voters in many polling units across the country.
Several Nigerians and Politicians and reacted to the low turn out.
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, Mr Jimi Agbaje, who expressed concern over the low turnout of voters in the state said did not come out to vote owing to security fears.Agbaje added that the problem was due to poor belief in the electoral process by the electorate.
The low turnout should concern those who want to advance the cause of democracy. “Citizens should be part of the democratic process. They must want their voice and votes to count.“So, when you don’t have a good turnout, there are many factors that could account for it.
“It could be as a result of what happened in the last election in terms thuggery, violence, ballot-snatching, that could have affected….
“But there are deeper issues. If people do not believe in the process, then they ask themselves, “Why bother?”
“So it is a chicken and egg situation, we just must continue to appeal to them to continue to exercise their civic responsibility,” he said.
Was today's low turnout at the gubernatorial polls a case of voter's apathy borne out of a distrust of Nigeria's electoral process by INEC or was it borne out of security fears of probable events? This will be some political student's thesis in months to come. #Electionday
— Babatunde Okunlola (@iam_fto) March 9, 2019
The PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who lost the February 23rd presidential election to President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC, while reacting to the low turn out said the low turnout might not be unconnected with the outcome of the February 23rd elections, which he said was “rigged.”
“The last elections were marred with a lot of malpractices and that have impacted on the turnout of voters today,” he said.“I have just cast my votes and I did not see the large number of voters who came out to vote in this unit during the last election.”
The former vice president said though he hoped for a PDP victory in the state, he was worried that the ruling party may tamper with the results.“There are signs that the powers that be may not allow for a free and fair exercise in today’s polls.
A former governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu who decried the low turnout of voters in the ongoing governorship election in the state said He does not see why people would not come out to exercise their right.
“I do not see why people would not come out to exercise their right.” “My advice is that voters should be ready to accept result, the way it comes.”
The good news is we will be getting results early.
E be like say its a season of #lowturnout
Even our on line #OTOGELAGOS clowns can't be found in the areas they claim to control.
Lesson?You can not tear "pata" on line and not match it with ground work on the streets. pic.twitter.com/JxIgrXikE4
— Kayode Ogundamisi (@ogundamisi) March 9, 2019
The Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara in his reaction to the low turn out said
“From the conduct of the election, I think, it is peaceful. But what I have seen here is that there is no mammoth crowd like the last election.
“I don’t know what happened and some of you who were here during the election saw the crowd, but I can’t see that kind of turn out here today. I don’t know what is responsible for that, maybe voter’s apathy.
“The fear that people’s votes may not count is the reason why people did not turn up as such because we saw that in the last election, the problem was not with the voting, people came out to vote, the problem started at the coalition level, especially at the ward level,” he said.
See Other reactions bellow
People nor even bother comot go vote …. I can’t wait for the numbers they will announce…. Jimi fit get 105,000 votes Sánwo go take around 201,000 pere (speculation) dont quote me… #lowturnout
— BosunADU (@BosunADU) March 9, 2019
It so clear now that the elections were rigged, imagine the turn out. Smh
— kings (@Gen_tool_man) March 9, 2019
The apathy is nationwide and a vote of no confidence on the electoral process by the people.
Why vote when your vote is the least determinant of who eventually emerges
— Afrikahman (@Afrikahdream) March 9, 2019
Dont be surprised when the results come they call 'big big number',God bless Fela Kuti
— Val Mary (@ValMary89666872) March 9, 2019
Every historical work on democratic governance going forward, must examine the role of a certain power greedy Man named Buhari, in the destruction and bastardisation of our democratic governance.
— Deji Teye (@mydeji247) March 9, 2019
I literally have to beg my wife to go and vote after casting my own vote in less than 3 minutes because there were no crowd just like the presidential election. My wife said @inecnigeria robbed her of her last vote and people are thumb printing million ballot papers in Borno???
— STANLEY EKUNDAYO (@soloawo) March 9, 2019
The situation is the same all over the country. They have succeeded in killing and dampened the spirit of all of us.
— Dasuki (@tamas2007) March 9, 2019
source https://www.naijanews.com/2019/03/09/nigerians-react-to-low-turn-out-of-voters-across-the-country/
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