A REVIEW OF VOTERS' TURNOUT IN THE 2015 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN MAGAMA LOCAL GOVERNMENT, NIGER STATE

Abstract

Since Nigeria's return to democracy in 1999, electoral process has been characterized by high level of political
participation by the electorate in Magama local government area and this, has impacton the nation's democracy. This
paper adopted qualitative method to examine voter turnout in the 2015 presidential elections with focus on Magama
local government area, Niger state. The views and perceptions of voters, INEC ofcials and political parties' chieftains
were analysed with a view to ascertaining the factors that were responsible for the voter turnout and participation.
Findings revealed that; there is desire by the people to make a change as a result of lack of voters' condence in their
previous political leaders to full their campaign promises,such as insecurity, impositions of the candidates on the
electorates' psychological inuence such as cash or kind; and there is electoral competitiveness among political
parties. Based on these ndings, the paperrecommended that voters' education must improve, there should be
adequate security, the promises made during campaign must be full and there should be freedom of INEC.