Despite a record 1.95 million registered voters, highest recorded in the state in the last four gubernatorial elections, only less than half of the registered voters voted in the July 16 gubernatorial election in Osun State.
The poor voters’ turnout recorded in the Osun governorship election continues the worrying trend of voter apathy in Nigeria’s elections in the last two decades.
Results made available by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), from the Osun governorship election shows that only 42.16percent of the 1.95 million registered voters in the state voted at the election.
The voter turnout, which is a fraction of the total vote cast, with the number of registered voters, indicates a drop from the 45.74percent recorded in 2018 and the lowest the state has recorded in its governorship election since 2003.
The governorship election which was highly anticipated was an opportunity for the people of Osun to elect a governor that would govern the state in the next four years.
The election is one of the off-season gubernatorial elections in the country. A total of 1, 955,657 registered voters were eligible to participate in the election.
According to INEC, 15 political parties presented candidates for the election in all the 30 local government areas in the state.
The holding of the election presided over weeks of campaigns and verbal war among the candidates, as they toured the state to sell their manifestos and themselves to the electorates.
Pundits had predicted that just like in 2018, the contest would be a two horse race between the People’s Democratic party (PDP) candidate, Ademola Adeleke and incumbent Governor Gboyega Oyetola who is the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
At the end of the election, INEC declared Adeleke the winner.
Read also: Adeleke’s victory in Osun and INEC‘s new dance step
The PDP candidate polled 403,371 votes to defeat his closest rival and the incumbent governor of the state, Oyetola of the APC, who polled 375,027 votes.
Adeleke, a native of Ede town in Ede North local government area, won in 17 local governments while Oyetola, who hails from Iragbiji, a town in Boripe Local Government Area, won in 13 local governments of the state.
Adeleke, a former senator, came into limelight after the death of his brother, Isiaka Adeleke, who was then a senator and had intended to contest the governorship election before his untimely death.
The PDP’s candidate is popular with his dancing prowess, just like his Nephew, Davido, who is a popular hip-pop artist.
Unlike in 2018, where he was defeated in a run-off, after winning the first round, he was hell-bent on reclaiming his mandate this time around.
However, the poor turnout was a set-back and a far cry from what would have been anticipated by stakeholders and the political parties.
According to INEC, despite an impressive 1.95 million people registering to vote, only1.52 million people collected their Permanent Voter Card (PVCs).
This is despite an increase in registered voters by 16percent compared to 2018. Also PVC collection saw a 10.7percent increase over the 67percent collection rate in 2018.
Observers say it was shocking that despite the increase in awareness, resulting in more people registering to vote, there was still a drop in the number of turnout on Election Day.
Thus, this is compared to 2003, in which the number of registered voters in Osun state was 1.37 million, but on the day of election, 801,812 voted, which indicated a 58.63percent voter turnout.
Similarly, the 2014 and 2018 governorship elections saw increases in registered voters, but voter turnout reduced.
The voter turnout dropped from 58.63percent in 2003 to 53.14percent in 2014, and it dropped even further in 2018.
Observers say that the poor turnout of eligible voters in the Osun governorship election is worrying signs considering that the general election is less than six months away.
In the last few months, there have been increased awareness and enthusiasm among Nigerians, especially the youths to take part in the Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
However, their efforts would not yield the needed result if they do not come out to exercise their franchise on Election Day.
In the 2019 general elections, Nigeria recorded the lowest rate of voter turnout since the return to democratic rule in 1999, with only 34.75percent voting at the presidential election, according to the European Union report.
Similar situation was witnessed at last November gubernatorial election in Anambra State, where observers said the electorates showed low interest in the election.
Several reports had said that the election recorded historic low turnout of registered voters. A report said only 10percent of registered voters in the state voted in the governorship election.
