WILBERFORCE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES (WJSS)
ISSN: 2504 – 9232
Volume 9, No. 1, March, 2024
Pages 167-191
DOI: 10.36108/wjss/4202.90.0180
THE IMPACT OF POLITICAL ALIENATION AND POLITICAL APATHY ON VOTING: A SURVEY OF THE 2019 GENERAL ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA
GOD’STIME OSARIYEKEMWEN IGIEBOR
Abstract
This paper examined the opinions of electorates on the impact of the apathy and alienation variables on low voter turnout in Nigeria’s 2019 general elections. The paper employed the expost facto design and a survey in data generation and organisation. The systematic sampling technique was used to select 1, 200 samples from the chosen local government areas in Nigeria. The descriptive-analytical method was utilised in the analysis of the qualitative data to ascertain the level of correlation inherent in the propositions. From the findings of the research, political alienation is a major cause of voter abstention while political apathy is a minor cause; bad governance, electoral violence and malpractices are the alienation and apathy variables causing voter abstention in Nigeria. Consequently, it is suggested that governance should be peopleoriented; violence incidences during elections should be mitigated; and the enforcement of appropriate sanctions against election offenders should be adopted to encourage citizens’ participation in the democratisation process.
Keywords: Political Apathy, Political Alienation, Voter Abstention, Voter Turnout, General Elections.