“Unless Things Change, I Won’t Vote in Nigeria Again” — Obasanjo

“Unless Things Change, I Won’t Vote in Nigeria Again” — Obasanjo

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the state of democracy in the country, declaring that unless significant changes are made, he will no longer participate in voting.

He made this declaration during the 2024 Youth Governance Dialogue, organized by the Youth Development Centre of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, in Abeokuta.

Speaking candidly to a gathering of young Nigerians, Obasanjo criticized the nation’s electoral process, stating that votes in Nigeria do not truly count. “Your votes don’t count in this country, don’t listen to them,” he said.

“Unless things change, I’m not going to vote again. Because they will say it doesn’t matter whether you vote or not. At the end, they will ask us to go to court because they know we won’t get justice. So what are you voting for? What democracy are you talking about?”

The former president urged the youth to play a proactive role in reshaping the country’s narrative. He emphasized that young Nigerians must become positively instructive and take responsibility for steering Nigeria toward genuine progress.

Obasanjo also criticized successive administrations for what he described as a failure to ensure meaningful development in critical sectors, particularly the power sector. He lamented that despite the promises made by those who came after him, there has been little to no visible progress.

The event featured interactive sessions aimed at equipping young people with strategies to address pressing challenges in Nigeria and across Africa. Speaking on the importance of the dialogue, Martins Adogbajale, Senior Programme Development Officer at the Youth Development Centre, explained that the platform allows young Nigerians to engage with Obasanjo on pressing issues while gaining valuable mentorship.

The 2024 Youth Governance Dialogue is part of an ongoing effort to foster a new generation of African leaders equipped to tackle the continent’s most pressing problems.