Manipulations, fraud behind low voter turnout in Nigeria — Gov Otti

By Daniel Abia, Port Harcourt

The Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has attributed the persistent debased elector turnout during elections successful Nigeria to manipulation of the electoral process and different fraudulent practices by hopeless politicians.

Speaking connected Tuesday successful Port Harcourt during the opening ceremonial of the First International Conference connected Advancing Politics and Governance for Sustainable Development, organized by the Centre for Politics, University of Port Harcourt, Otti expressed interest that electoral malpractice has eroded nationalist trust, starring to wide elector apathy.

Otti, who was represented by the erstwhile Senate Minority Chief Whip, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, lamented that contempt immense sums of wealth spent connected governmental mobilization, elector information has continued to decline.

“You find retired that determination is simply a continued diminution successful voters’ turnout successful successive elections contempt the rising outgo of governmental mobilization. People person go disenchanted, particularly aft the 2023 wide elections,” helium said.

The politician urged Nigerians, peculiarly intellectuals, policymakers, and assemblage leaders, to instrumentality ownership of the governmental process and enactment towards genuine antiauthoritarian reforms.

“Complaining from the sidelines volition nary longer beryllium feasible. We indispensable statesman mobilizing the champion of america to prosecute the connection of a caller bid and marque a beardown lawsuit for alteration wrong antiauthoritarian bounds,” helium stated.

Otti emphasized that the existent levels of unemployment, poverty, and economical distress successful Africa are unjustifiable, stressing that restoration is imaginable if citizens rediscover their corporate power.

“Our lawsuit is not beyond redemption. Restoration volition commencement erstwhile we travel to a caller consciousness of our powers arsenic intellectuals, sentiment leaders, policymakers, and students,” helium said.

He maintained that the continent indispensable cull immoderate governmental statement that ignores the urgency of reform, adding that existent prosperity tin lone beryllium achieved done participatory ideology and transparent governance.

“We whitethorn person mislaid truthful overmuch to governmental indifference and mediocre governance, but what is near is insignificant compared to what the aboriginal holds. We indispensable enactment with similar minds to reclaim the governmental process for progress,” Otti declared.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Conference, Prince Tonye Princewill, noted that sustainable improvement cannot beryllium achieved done economical maturation alone.

“When authorities is reduced to a contention for powerfulness alternatively than a level for service, advancement falters. But erstwhile governance is guided by vision, transparency, inclusion, and accountability, nations rise,” helium said.

The conference, themed “Politics, Resource Governance and Sustainable Development successful Africa,” attracted participants from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Canada, and Australia.

The station Manipulations, fraud down debased elector turnout successful Nigeria — Gov Otti appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.