It’s just about 5 months to the 2023 elections in Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria; however, some groups of people who don’t vote are not bothered.
Political parties, alongside their candidates, are putting strategies in place to help them win over the masses and emerge victorious at the polls.
Sadly, reports from the 2015& 2019 elections show that there’s still widespread low voter turnout due to several reasons.
5 groups of people who don’t vote during elections;
5. Soldiers On Essential Duties
Members of the armed forces are expected to be nonpartisan and focus on activities that protect the integrity of Nigeria and maintain law and order.
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During elections, security agencies act as watchdogs, safeguard ballot boxes, and play other critical roles in ensuring calm at polling centres and other locations nationwide.
However, soldiers who’re not on essential duties can exercise their civic right by voting but must not wear their uniforms.
4. The “My Vote Does Not Count” Group
Some people don’t bother to vote because they erroneously believe their votes won’t count. They believe that Nigerian politicians are masters of rigging elections, so these set of people don’t waste their time voting when it won’t count.
Data from Nigeria’s electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), revealed that during the 2019 presidential election, only 28.6 million votes were cast out of about 82.3 million registered voters, a difference of 34.75%.
However, you should know that your votes count; if it doesn’t, politicians won’t be begging you for them and trying to buy your vote.
3. Those Without Voter’s Cards
A valid Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) is required for anyone who wants to vote during Nigeria’s general elections. As good as the idea is, it disenfranchises many legitimate voters who don’t have the card due to various reasons.
After registering, some people might not be able to get their cards, while others might not get time off work to register for the PVC.
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A valid ID card should be all that’s required to cast a vote during elections. Nigerians have international passports, National Identity Number (NIN), and Driver’s license as valid government-approved ID cards.
The laws should be amended to allow eligible voters to cast their votes using any of these valid identity cards.
2. Selected Religious Leaders
Some high-ranking religious leaders do not participate in the voting process during elections. For some, it’s because they want to remain neutral in political matters, while for others, they might have a hard time picking one person/party over the other since they might have followers across political divides.
General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, PST Enoch Adeboye, during a sermon in July 2022, revealed that he doesn’t vote during elections.
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He doesn’t vote because every political party is heavily represented in RCCG, and he wants to be fair to all his children (in various political parties).
“The only reason I have never voted is that I will be unjust to the rest of my children if I vote for anyone. I am the father of all, and I like it that way,” he said.
1. Jehovah Witnesses
Jehovah Witnesses are a religious group who move from house to house in several nations of the world, bringing the message of Jehovah’s peace and kingdom to people. However, this select group of people who believe so much in Jehovah and his kingdom do not vote during elections.
A member of this group who spoke with Skabash.com on the condition of anonymity said Jehovah witnesses don’t vote because they support God’s kingdom and not man’s.
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She said, “We are loyal to God’s kingdom because we know it’s the only means of salvation. We also imitate Jesus by not involving in politics.
By remaining neutral, we can speak freely to people of all political persuasions about the good news of God’s Kingdom. We try to show by our words and practices that we rely on God’s Kingdom to solve the world’s problems.
As representatives of God’s Kingdom, commissioned to proclaim its coming, we remain neutral in the political affairs of all countries.”
However, she quickly added that despite being politically neutral, they obey constituted authority.
“Although we do not participate in politics, we respect the authority of the governments under which we live. We obey the law, pay taxes, and cooperate with the government’s efforts to provide for its citizens’ welfare,” she said.
