An election monitoring group, Kimpact Development Initiative, under the Strengthening Electoral Accountability Project, said despite consistent growth in voter registration in Anambra State, voter turnout has fallen by over 58 per cent in the last eight years.
The Executive Director, KDI, Bukola Idowu, disclosed this during a pre-election press conference in Awka, on Friday.
Idowu said, “KDI has been closely monitoring the electoral environment in Anambra State through data-driven research, stakeholder engagement, and on-ground observation under our Nigeria Election Violence Education and Resolution project.
“Our pre-election assessment highlights key trends, risks, and opportunities for ensuring credible and violence-free polls. Declining voter turnout – In Anambra, voter turnout has fallen by over 58 per cent in the last eight years, despite consistent growth in voter registration.
“It will appear that voter turnout is falling at the same rate at which voter registration was growing. This means that while more citizens are registering to vote, fewer are turning out on election day, a troubling trend that points to deepening voter apathy and declining trust in the electoral process.
“To better understand this decline, KDI conducted a detailed analysis and discovered that although Anambra North Senatorial recorded the highest number of registered voters, it has consistently produced the lowest voter turnout in the state.
“While insecurity contributes to low voter turnout in the state generally, Anambra South, which has historically experienced higher levels of insecurity, still recorded comparatively better turnout rates. KDI’s findings suggest that other factors contribute to the low participation in Anambra North, including logistical and geographical challenges.
“Some local governments in the district, such as Anambra East, Anambra West, and Ogbaru, are largely riverine and made up of hard-to-reach communities, with a higher voter-to-polling-unit ratio than other districts.”
The PUNCH