AMAC election and 'Apartheid' of Apathy by Remmy Nweke - WeekendDigits@ITREALMS

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Despite a 94.4% PVC collection rate, the AMAC election last Saturday, February 21, 2026, saw a dismal 7% turnout. Remmy Nweke in this WeekendDigits@ITREALMS explores this 'Apartheid of Apathy,' a chilling trust deficit threatening the heart of Nigeria's democracy.

Silence of polling booths:
The dust has settled on the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) election, but the silence from the polling booths is deafening. Despite optimistic pre-election data, the outcome has left scholars, statesmen, and citizens grappling with a staggering paradox: high readiness, but record-low participation.

Great disconnect: 94% Readiness, 7% Turnout:
Ahead of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) council elections scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclosed that over 1.58 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) had been collected across the FCT.
In a statement by INEC’s National Commissioner, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, the commission revealed that as of February 10, 2026, a total of 1,680,315 voters were registered. Out of this, 1,587,025 PVCs were collected, a massive 94.4 per cent collection rate. Specifically, the Municipal Area Council (AMAC) recorded 795,081 collected PVCs out of 841,587 registered voters (94.5%).

While INEC signaled this as "strong voter readiness," the actual polls told a different story. With an estimated 93% of the electorate choosing to "vote with their feet," the victory songs are being drowned out by a chorus of concern.

A democracy in ICU:
Reacting to this, Omoniyi P. Ibietan, PhD, warned on his Facebook page that this level of apathy is a symptom of a deep-seated malaise. As a scholar of political communication, he notes that increasing voter indifference is a pointer to a democracy failing to flourish.

"This is not a time for grandstanding or impunity, but a time for reflection... a time for us to take a turn towards real meaning sharing and social cooperation."

Akinyemi Onigbinde echoed this clinical diagnosis, stating bluntly that our democracy is "in the ICU ward, gasping for breath." When nearly 800,000 people in AMAC hold PVCs, yet only a tiny fraction use them, the "representative" nature of governance becomes a mathematical ghost.

SPVs and Broken Promises:
Why did the "readiness" of PVC collection not translate to the ballot box? The contributors pointed to several structural and emotional fractures:

Political Parties as Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs): Temitope Ajayi argued that Nigerian parties have become "Special Purpose Vehicles" that only appear every four years. Unlike foreign counterparts that "knock on doors," local parties fail to mobilize or make members feel like they truly belong to the process.

The Reward System: Aderemi Amusat highlighted the "imposition of children and relatives" of party leaders, which kills the passion of grassroots members. When the lifestyle of the political elite contrasts with the demolition of local markets, the ordinary person sees no reason to participate.

Trust Deficit: Paul O. Mumeh and Gospel Asuquo identify a "Trust Deficit" rooted in consistent betrayal. Whether it’s lack of faith in the process or "electoral apartheid," the 7% turnout is a loud statement of rejection.

A call for change:
Also reacting, Simbo Olorunfemi offered a structural solution, arguing that a party-based Presidential system at the local level lacks the "pull mechanism" to elicit ownership. He proposes a shift to a parliamentary and zero-party system to bring governance closer to the people.

Forecast:- A warning for 2027:
The outlook remains grim, therefore, Lizi Ben-Iheanacho offered a cynical "prophecy" of even lower turnouts by 2027, while Abubakar Umar Kari reminds us that the FCT electorate has made a "loud statement of lack of faith in the democratic system."

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Bottom Line:
The 94.4% PVC collection rate proves that Nigerians want to be part of the system, but the 7% turnout proves they no longer believe in it. If this "Apartheid of Apathy" continues, the victors will soon find themselves presiding over an empty hall.

Additionally, following solutions and paths toward reflection are proposed to address the trust deficit and voter apathy:

• Structural Reform at Local Levels: There is a call to transition to a parliamentary and zero-party system for local governments, as the current party-based presidential system lacks the "pull mechanism" to encourage local ownership.
• Active Grassroots Mobilization: Political parties need to move beyond being "Special Purpose Vehicles" for elections and instead engage in year-round "ground operations," such as door-to-door mobilization, to ensure members feel included in the process.
• Intentional Inclusivity: Leaders must move away from "grandstanding and impunity" to embrace social cooperation, real meaning sharing, and inclusiveness.
• Fairness in Electoral Outcomes: To make democracy more representative, candidates should win through fair competition rather than the "power of incumbency" or the deployment of excessive financial resources.
• Reforming Party Reward Systems: Parties should address the "imposition of relatives" and children of leaders as candidates, which currently discourages the commitment of ordinary members.
• Protection of the Common Man: Governance must shift toward protecting and rewarding ordinary citizens, rather than policies that displace them, such as the demolition and unaffordable resale of local markets.

*WeekendDigits@ITREALMS with Remmy Nweke