Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has blamed the continued low voter turnout during elections in Nigeria on the manipulation of the electoral process and other fraudulent activities by desperate politicians.
Speaking on Tuesday in Port Harcourt at the opening ceremony of the First International Conference on Advancing Politics and Governance for Sustainable Development, organised by the Centre for Politics, University of Port Harcourt, Otti expressed concern that electoral malpractice has undermined public confidence, resulting in widespread voter apathy.
Otti, who was represented by the former Senate Minority Chief Whip, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, lamented that despite the large sums of money spent on political mobilisation, voter participation has remained low.
“You find out that there is a continued decline in voters’ turnout in successive elections despite the rising cost of political mobilisation. People have become disenchanted, especially after the 2023 general elections,” he said.
The governor called on Nigerians, particularly intellectuals, policymakers, and community leaders, to take responsibility for the political process and strive towards genuine democratic reforms.
“Complaining from the sidelines will no longer be feasible. We must begin mobilising the best of us to pursue the message of a new order and make a strong case for change within democratic bounds,” he stated.
Otti stressed that the current levels of unemployment, poverty, and economic hardship in Africa are unjustifiable, adding that restoration is achievable if citizens rediscover their collective strength.
“Our case is not beyond redemption. Restoration will start when we come to a new awareness of our powers as intellectuals, opinion leaders, policymakers, and students,” he said.
He insisted that the continent must reject any political arrangement that overlooks the urgent need for reform, noting that genuine prosperity can only be realised through participatory democracy and transparent governance.
“We may have lost so much to political indifference and poor governance, but what is left is insignificant compared to what the future holds. We must work with like minds to reclaim the political process for progress,” Otti declared.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Conference, Prince Tonye Princewill, stated that sustainable development cannot be achieved through economic growth alone.
“When politics is reduced to a competition for power rather than a platform for service, progress falters. But when governance is guided by vision, transparency, inclusion, and accountability, nations rise,” he said.
The conference, themed “Politics, Resource Governance and Sustainable Development in Africa,” drew participants from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Canada, and Australia.
