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On election morning, Chinedu woke up to several text messages, reminding him to vote. He read them, sighed and dropped his phone, saying to himself…"What is the point?” "Nothing ever changes”.
He wasn’t the only one. Thousands of people across the country make the same statement. Many say "My vote doesn’t count” or "They’re all the same”. These words are harmless, but when millions of people think the same way, the consequences are much bigger than anyone imagined. Fewer people vote, few voices are heard. And a decision that affects everyone will be made by only a small number of people. Months later, people start to complain about the poor infrastructure of the country. Their complains are valid, but one question remains; If our voices are missing when decisions (voting) are being made, should we be surprised by the consequences that follow?
Every election gives citizens a Chance to speak without saying a word. But when people choose silence because they feel disappointed, ignored or powerless, that silence is called 'Voter Apathy’.
Voter Apathy is when eligible voters loose interest in election and choose not to vote because they feel that their votes doesn’t matter or they have little confidence in the political process.
Over the years, voters participation in Nigeria has declined significantly. According to research report "Addressing Voter Apathy In Nigeria”, 1999 marked the peak of electoral participation in Nigeria. Since then, voters participation has constantly declined, despite a growing population projected to exceed 20 million by 2025. More people now have the right to vote, but fewer people are using it.
The generation before us didn’t just sit back and watch even unfold, they got involved. Parents talked about politics at dinner tables, neighbors argued about who can lead the country better, students organized discussions on politics and communities encouraged one another to come out and vote. Elections weren’t perfect but people believed that silence comes with a cost.
Today we have become comfortable doing something else. We still gather, but it’s mostly online, we argue on comment sections, drag politicians online and complain about everything, from the cost of living, to insecurity and unemployment. Yet on the day of election, many of us quietly stay at home. We become cowards and begin to loose confidence, convincing ourselves that our votes doesn’t matter.
Yes, we understand that we have been disappointed too many times. Promises has been broken, hopes has been lost and the situation of the country has given us every reason to be frustrated and angry. But if we keep refusing to show up, can we really say we have done our part? Because we just keep handing power to them by not doing anything/participating in the electoral process.
Our parents and grandparents didn’t have social media. They could not post hashtags or make viral videos, yet they found a way to organize themselves, speak up, and participate in the electoral process.
Think about the June 12 1993 election. Nigerians came out in large numbers because they believed their votes mattered. Even after the election was annulled, many refused to stay silent. They spoke up, protested and demanded that they must be respected and their voices must heard.
Today, we have gone from believing in the power or voting, to believing that our votes have no value or power. If the previous generation could stand as one to build this Nation, why can’t we?
While citizens have a responsibility to vote, the government must also take its share of blame. The government cannot keep asking the citizens to vote, while giving them reason to loose hope. Broken promises, corruption, electoral violence and insecurity has made many Nigerians loose faith and question their votes. When elections are marred by violence, intimidation, vote buying or allegations of irregularities, many start to question whether their votes made any difference. Years of these experiences leave Nigerians feeling powerless. Voters apathy isn’t just the result of citizens giving up, it is also the result of a government that has also given the citizens reasons to stop believing and trusting the electoral process.
The government has a big role to play in reducing voters apathy, but they cannot do it alone. The truth is that everyone has a part to play. Political parties need to give people leaders they can trust. Electoral bodies must continue to make the electoral system free, fair and transparent. The media should keep encouraging and educating people, while citizens must also realize that real change begins when they choose to participate, instead of staying at the sidelines.
If truly we want to see more Nigerians at the polling units, we have to build trust in the electoral process, strengthen civic and voter education, hold leaders accountable, reject vote buying, improve election security, promote issue based politics, use social media to inform, rather than mislead and take political conversions back to the community, not just on social media.
At the end of the day, it is easy to complain about the state of the country, but complaints without taking action won’t change anything. Every vote is a chance to shape Nigeria the right way, to make it conducive for us to live in. If we keep believing that our voices don’t matter, we leave our future in the hands of those who decide to take control. The choice is ours. We can either choose to remain silent, or we can decide to take a stand and make our voices heard, and our votes count. Every vote is a voice, and every voice has the power to shape Nigeria's future. Choose to vote, and choose to be heard.
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