“For democracy to work, the people must be empowered to participate in the process, and the process must be transparent, credible, and free from manipulation.”

Pat Utomi
(Nigerian Professor of Political Economy)

Dear {{First name|Active Citizen}},

There’s a quiet crisis in our democracy and it starts at the level closest to you. In 2021, Lagos State had over 6.5 million registered voters. Yet, when it came time to elect local government officials. The very people responsible for managing primary healthcare, basic education, waste disposal, market sanitation, and streetlights. Only 271,914 people showed up to vote. That’s just 4.14% voter turnout. It’s not just low; it’s a 71.5% drop from the already unimpressive 14% turnout in the 2019 gubernatorial election.

The numbers tell an even starker story when you zoom in. Alimosho, the most populous LGA in the state, had a turnout of just 1.04%. That’s 7,779 votes out of 741,587 registered voters. Ikorodu and Kosofe barely fared better. Even the “best” performers - Ibeju-Lekki, Mushin, and Lagos Island couldn’t crack 15%.

And Lagos isn’t an outlier, it’s a mirror. Across Nigeria, we’ve built an unhealthy hierarchy of elections: the presidential and gubernatorial races gets our energy and LGA elections are treated like a footnote. When local government works, you feel it but when it doesn’t, you suffer the consequences and more often than not, we suffer in silence, forgetting that we actually have a say in how these systems are run.

As we mark Democracy Day, remember: democracy starts where you live. With the 2025 LGA elections in Lagos around the corner, there’s an opportunity to flip the script. But this is bigger than Lagos. This is a call to action for every Nigerian. Do you know when your LGA election is scheduled? Do you know the name of your Local Government Chairman? Can you point to what they’ve achieved with their budget allocation? If not, now’s the time to start asking questions.

Visit www.shineyoureye.org for information about your LGA Chairman and federal lawmakers. We’re constantly updating and if your LGA isn't listed or needs updates, help us out by sending details to [email protected].

Happy Democracy Day!

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Have a great weekend!
The EiE Nigeria Team.