Former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has raised concern over what he described as the poor voter registration turnout in the South-East, warning that the region risks underrepresentation in national politics if the trend continues.
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Speaking at the Egbu Diocese in Imo State, El-Rufai said the South-East, including Imo, has fewer registered voters compared to other zones, stressing that voter registration is a civic duty that citizens must take seriously for democracy to thrive.
He urged parents, particularly mothers, to encourage their children from age sixteen and above to get ready for registration once eligible, and charged young people to prioritise obtaining their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
“The government of our country today is democratic. We elect our leaders, we don’t select them, we don’t appoint them. So voting is very important. Registering to vote is a civic duty, which as a citizen you must take advantage of. Looking at the number of registered voters in Nigeria, the South East including Imo State is lagging behind,” he said.
The former governor, who is part of the opposition coalition of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) seeking to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027, stressed that participation in elections begins with registration.
At an interactive session in Owerri on Friday, El-Rufai further argued that electronic voting and real-time transmission of results remain the surest path to credible elections and democratic stability.
He lamented that voter turnout has been on steady decline since 2007, noting that less than 30 percent of registered voters participated in the 2023 presidential election, compared to over 60 percent in 2003.
“Given our stormy history, 25 years of unbroken rule by elected governments indicates that our country is on a pathway to democratic stability. But voter turnout at presidential elections has been declining since 2007,” he said.
El-Rufai added that low turnout undermines trust in the system and warned that alienation from the political process could lead to “unwelcome fragility.”
He pressed for the adoption of nationwide electronic voting by 2027, saying his experience in Kaduna, where the system was introduced for local government elections in 2018 and 2021, proved its feasibility.
“Can we not agree to say farewell to electoral malfeasance and any appearance of it by adopting electronic voting and real-time transmission of results to collation points without interference?” he asked.
According to him, electronic voting machines can perform multiple functions, including voter verification, providing a paper trail, shutting down at deadlines, printing results for party agents and security agencies, and seamless transmission of results.
El-Rufai also used the platform to revisit the question of federalism, warning against attempts to run Nigeria as a unitary state.
“Recent experience would seem to suggest that federalism is a concept often touted by those seeking power who promptly forget about it once suitably empowered,” he said.
He argued that devolving more powers, resources, and responsibilities to the states, including policing, would accelerate development and strengthen national unity. He called on the federal government to implement the recommendations of the 2018 APC Committee on True Federalism, which he chaired.
El-Rufai maintained that promoting federalism was not just a political slogan but a necessity for Nigeria’s stability, progress, and democratic growth.
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