Stakeholders in Nigeria’s democracy and governance space have warned that growing political apathy and declining public trust in democratic institutions could undermine participation in the 2027 general elections unless urgent reforms are undertaken to restore citizens’ confidence.

 

They expressed concern in Abuja during a Conversation on Democratic Renewal in the Global South: Civic Activism, Leadership and Youth Power, organised by Yiaga Africa, where participants stressed the need for greater inclusion, accountability and youth participation in governance.

 

Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, said Nigeria was approaching another election cycle amid deep concerns over declining public trust in democratic institutions and the possibility of low voter turnout.

 

While acknowledging widespread frustrations with governance, Itodo warned Nigerians against withdrawing from the democratic process, insisting that political apathy would only worsen the country’s challenges.

 

“As Nigeria is going into another round of elections, there are deeper concerns about the state of Nigeria’s democracy. Whether citizens trust the process well enough that they will participate, there is a trust crisis, and there are concerns that the next elections may not record high turnout of voters,” he said.

 

“We understand that Nigerians have challenges, but staying away from participating in democracy only makes the issue worse,” he said.

 

According to him, citizens, particularly young people, must move beyond expressing opinions on social media and become actively involved in politics by registering to vote, engaging elected leaders and demanding accountability.

 

“It is good to be active on social media, but if you’re not active politically, then the change that you want will not come. We need to move from social media engagement to active political engagement.

 

“It is about registering to vote. It is about asking leaders the difficult questions and not being intimidated by political leaders who don’t want to be accountable to the people,” he added.

 

Itodo maintained that democratic accountability is a shared responsibility between citizens and elected officials, stressing that democracy cannot flourish where citizens fail to participate.

 

He rejected suggestions that democracy itself had failed Nigerians, arguing instead that the country’s challenge lies in how democratic governance is practised.

 

Citing findings from Afrobarometer surveys, he said Nigerians still preferred democratic governance but had become increasingly dissatisfied with exclusion, poor representation and weak accountability.

 

“The issue is not democracy. The issue is the people who are actually practising democracy. Democracy provides mechanisms for self-correction through elections and other constitutional processes. Citizens must use those instruments to hold leaders accountable,” he said.

 

Also speaking, Vice President of the Open Society Foundations, Pedro Abramovay, said rebuilding democracy begins with rebuilding trust through inclusion, accountability and meaningful citizen participation.

 

He argued that democracy should not be judged by a single economic model, noting that democratic countries have historically adopted different economic approaches while remaining committed to protecting citizens’ rights.

 

“The idea that democracy is the same as countries having completely unregulated markets and minimum state intervention is simply not true,” Abramovay said.

 

“People will trust democracy if democracy trusts them.”

 

He noted that many countries were reassessing economic policies following the shortcomings of neoliberalism and urged nations in the Global South to develop economic models that invest in education, green industrialisation and social protection while strengthening democratic institutions.

 

Abramovay warned against viewing authoritarian governments as alternatives to democratic governance, saying such systems often erode citizens’ freedoms and dignity despite promises of economic progress.

 

He called on governments to create opportunities for continuous engagement between citizens and policymakers beyond election periods.

 

“Our job is to connect people with policymaking. Democratic states are those that create spaces for citizens to engage government, shape policies and defend their rights. We need dialogue that goes beyond elections,” he said.