Niger: 'Go and Vote' - Bishops Concerned Over Political Apathy Among Majority of Nigerians

What the report says

Catholic and other Christian leaders in Nigeria are renewing calls for voters to take part in the country’s 2027 general elections, warning that political apathy could weaken accountability and public trust. The report, carried by AllAfrica from Agenzia Fides, says the appeals were made in Abuja and Minna, with Bishop Dauwa Yohanna of Kontagora urging Christians to get voter cards, join political life and vote rather than stay away in protest.

Yohanna, who chairs the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger State, told journalists on August 10 that not voting amounts to surrender and leaves citizens without grounds to complain about outcomes. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria has also voiced concern. Its president, Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso of Kaduna, described the next election cycle as especially important and argued that weak leadership has contributed to insecurity, economic decline, religious tension, kidnappings and deaths.

Ndagoso pointed to turnout figures from Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election to illustrate what he called growing disengagement. He said the numbers show many eligible Nigerians did not register, collect voter cards or participate in voting, though those figures were presented in the context of the bishops’ broader warning rather than as a new election report.

The bishops’ message reflects a wider concern in Nigeria about low turnout and distrust in politics. In general, religious leaders in the country often play a public role in urging civic participation, especially ahead of major elections, because voting is seen as central to democratic legitimacy and citizen influence.