Dr. Jonathan Asake, former president of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), says widespread disappointment over the outcome of the 2023 presidential election has contributed to growing voter apathy ahead of the 2027 general election.
In an interview published by The Sun Nigeria on July 18, 2026, Asake said many Nigerians turned out in large numbers in 2023 because they were frustrated with the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and wanted a new direction. He added that many voters backed the Labour Party candidate in the hope of securing that change.
“If you remember in 2023 election, for the first time in Nigeria’s history, people trooped out because of the frustration of the Buhari-led administration… They expressed that by voting overwhelming, but the result came out differently,” Asake said.
According to INEC, APC candidate Bola Tinubu won the February 25, 2023 presidential election with 8,794,726 votes. PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar secured 6,984,520 votes, Labour Party’s Peter Obi received 6,101,533 votes, while NNPP candidate Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso polled 1,496,687 votes. INEC also said Tinubu met the constitutional requirement of securing at least 25% of votes in two-thirds of the states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Asake argued that subsequent legal challenges failed to restore public confidence, warning that voter turnout in 2027 could remain low unless electoral transparency improves and citizens are assured that their votes will count.
