The Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has said that any belief by Nigerians that the outcome of the 2027 elections would be in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) could lead to voter apathy.
Onaiyekan said this during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun, on Monday.
According to him, any perception that the ruling party is guaranteed victory would discourage voter participation and ultimately weaken the legitimacy of the government that emerges from the polls. 
He noted that voter apathy in recent elections in the country reflected a growing distrust in the electoral system, a situation he said must be urgently addressed before the next general election.
Cardinal Onaiyekan said restoring public confidence in the electoral process was essential to improving governance, insisting that democracy can only thrive where elections are genuinely free, fair and credible.
The cleric maintained that Nigeria has yet to conduct a truly free and fair election, linking low voter turnout to widespread public disillusionment with the electoral process.
“I fear that it becomes very clear to Nigerians that no matter what happens, the APC will win, then most people won’t even bother to go to the election. And even if the government, the real power, wins, it will not bring a real victory, actually. And it is not going to be possible to deliver good government.”
