Election violence, vote buying eroding Nigerians’ confidence — NOA

 

The National Orientation Agency has identified election violence, misinformation, vote buying and declining trust as factors eroding Nigerians’ confidence in the electoral process.

The Director, Civic, Values and Democracy Education at the NOA, Olukemi Afolayan, stated this on Thursday in Abuja at an election roundtable organised by Create Studio Nigeria and the Humanitarian Foundation for Social Justice.

Speaking on the theme, “Reclaiming Our Vote: Enfranchising a New Generation of Voters,” Afolayan said the growing perception among some citizens, particularly young Nigerians, that their votes did not make a meaningful difference was contributing to voter apathy.

She said, “Yet, across many democracies, including Nigeria, we are confronted with the challenge of declining trust, voter apathy, misinformation, vote buying, election violence and the growing perception among some citizens, particularly young people, that their votes do not make a meaningful difference.”

According to her, restoring citizens’ confidence in the democratic process was necessary to reverse voter apathy and encourage greater participation in elections.

“This is why reclaiming our vote must begin with reclaiming citizens’ confidence in the democratic process,” she said.

Afolayan described young Nigerians as critical stakeholders in the country’s democratic development, noting that Nigeria’s youthful population made their participation essential to the future of democracy.

“Nigeria is a youthful nation. Our young people are not merely the leaders of tomorrow; they are active stakeholders in the Nigeria of today,” she stated.

She said enfranchising a new generation of voters required more than encouraging young people to register and cast their ballots, stressing the need to equip them with civic knowledge and values.

“At the National Orientation Agency, we believe that civic education and values reorientation are essential pillars of democratic development.

“Citizens must understand not only how to vote, but why their vote matters; not only their rights, but also their responsibilities,” Afolayan said.