Voter’s Apathy and the Challenges of Democracy in Nigeria: a Case Study of 2023 General Election in Ekiti State

The study investigated voters’ apathy and the challenges of democratic in Nigeria: a case study of 2023 general election in Ekiti state. The study was a descriptive research design which consisted of accredited 362,817 registered voters in 2023 general electorates in Ekiti State. The formular-Taro Yamene’s was used to estimate the sample of 400 voters from the three senatorial districts of Ekiti state using multi-stage sampling technique. The instrument used for this study was questionnaire, validated by experts and research supervisors with reliability coefficient of 0.91. Data collected were analyzed using percentage, mean and chi-square.​The result showed that level of voters’ turnout in 2023 general election in Ekiti state was moderate. The causes of voters’ apathy in 2023 general election in Ekiti state include inadequate voter education, bad governance and uninspiring politicians, electoral violence, corrupt party, unfulfilled political promises, illiteracy and ignorance, religion constraint and delay and denial of justice. These have caused grievous effect on democratic consolidation in Ekiti state. The study recommends the following: there is need for re-orientation programme for the electorate to ensure that the know the importance participation in electoral processes; the law enforcement agencies should guarantee safety and remain unbiased during the election. This will enable electorate to confidently cast their vote and there is need for regular mass mobilization before the election day to guarantee fairness in the election process. The election must be free and fair, creating trust in the government.