Why Nigerians Must Realign Their Interest: The Case of Local Government Elections










Why Nigerians Must Realign Their Interest: The Case of Local Government Elections

Local Government Elections in Nigeria are not popular. And that is the problem.With less than about 24 hours to the LG elections in Edo State, the silence on the streets is telling. Radio jingles are few, voter education is minimal, and many citizens are not even aware that an election is happening. 

This apathy directly translates to low interest, low turnout, and ultimately, weak representation. It is a clear indication that Edo State citizens, and by extension Nigerians, have not yet fully aligned with the process that drives grassroots development.

"We are looking in the wrong direction. Most of the national conversation, media coverage, and public energy is focused on Presidential, Governorship, National and State House of Assembly elections. Those elections matter. But the election that brings democracy closest to the people to your street, your market, your primary health center is the Local Government election. Ironically, this is the same election we pay the least attention to," he said.

LG elections matter most because of proximity. The process starts with Councilors from individual wards made up of units. You know these candidates. They live in your community. The ward results are collated to produce the Chairman’s result, and your vote here counts immediately and visibly. Beyond voting, LGAs control the services that touch your daily life: primary healthcare, local roads, sanitation, markets, town halls, and basic education infrastructure. It is also far easier to walk into a Council Secretariat and demand accountability from a Local Government Chairman and Councilors than to get an audience with a Governor or President. When citizens are engaged at this level, corruption and neglect are harder to hide.

The cost of misplaced priorities is heavy. When we ignore LG elections, we hand over the most powerful tool for community development to the few who show up. We then turn around to complain about bad roads, poor primary schools, and insecurity at the grassroots problems LGAs are constitutionally mandated to address. A democracy that does not work at the local level cannot work at the national level.

The way forward is clear. Nigerians must begin to realign their interest. Civic education, media coverage, and community mobilization around LG elections must match, or even exceed, what we do for general elections. Genuine interest in LG elections is when the true dividends of democracy will get to the people. It is when citizens can track budgets, attend council meetings, and demand accountability from leaders they can actually reach. Doing the reverse chasing only “big” elections while neglecting the local is an error that keeps development far from the grassroots.

The mountain of development has many paths. But the shortest path starts in your Local Government.

It’s time we started climbing it.

Dr. Bright Oniovokukor, Indomitable Youths Organization

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