IMPROVING ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION THROUGH GOOD GOVERNANCE: LESSONS LEARNED FROM NIGERIA'S 2019 GENERAL ELECTIONS

Abstract

The phenomenon of declining voter turnout is a global issue that endangers the genuineness of electoral processes. This research paper addresses the role of political alienation in voter abstention during Nigeria's 2019 general elections through a study of a sample of 1,200 respondents from six local government areas in the country's different geopolitical zones. The research reveals that voters become alienated primarily because of the inability of elected officials to fulfil electoral promises, electoral fraud, and violence. This study intends to establish that voter apathy is not the sole reason for the decrease in voter turnout; political alienation is its significant factor. The research suggests possible measures to enhance electoral participation, including good governance based on people-oriented policies by elected officials and putting in place mechanisms to prevent and control electoral fraud and violence during elections at all governmental levels. The study highlights the necessity of voter participation in guaranteeing democratic processes' credibility, legitimacy, and stability. This paper contributes to the increasing concern over declining voter turnout by presenting political alienation as a cause of voter abstention and proposes feasible solutions.