Atiku cites low FCT poll turnout as evidence of shrinking democratic space, urges opposition unity to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised concerns over what he described as declining democratic participation following the low voter turnout recorded in Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections.
In a press release issued by his media office on February 22, 2026 in Abuja, the African Democratic Congress chieftain said turnout across the polls averaged below 20 per cent, with the Abuja Municipal Area Council recording 7.8 per cent participation.
Atiku characterised the development as a troubling sign for Nigeria’s democratic health under the administration of Bola Tinubu.
According to the statement titled “Democracy Under Siege: Tinubu’s Chokehold Is Suffocating the Republic,” the former vice president said the low turnout in the nation’s capital was symptomatic of a broader political climate.
Atiku stated that such abysmal civic participation in the nation’s capital the symbolic heartbeat of the federation is not accidental. It is the predictable outcome of a political environment poisoned by intolerance, intimidation, and the systematic weakening of opposition voices.
He further alleged that the current administration had adopted policies that undermine democratic competition and pluralism.
“The Bola Tinubu-led APC government has pursued a deliberate policy of shrinking democratic space, harassing dissenters, coercing defectors, and fostering a climate where alternative political viewpoints are treated as threats rather than contributions to national development,” the statement said.
Atiku warned that waning public confidence in elections could weaken democratic institutions if not addressed.
“When citizens lose faith that their votes matter, democracy begins to die,” Atiku stated. “What we are witnessing is not mere voter apathy. It is a direct consequence of an administration that governs with a chokehold on pluralism. Democracy in Nigeria is being suffocated slowly, steadily, and dangerously.”
He added that sustained erosion of participatory governance could undermine democratic gains built over decades.
“A democracy without vibrant opposition, without free political competition, and without public confidence is democracy in name only. If this chokehold is not released, history will record this era as the period when our hard won freedoms were traded for fear and conformity.”
The former vice president called on opposition parties and democratic actors nationwide to work together to protect Nigeria’s democratic system.
“This is no longer about party lines; it is about preserving the Republic. The time to stand together to rescue and rebuild Nigeria is now,” the statement added.