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The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has expressed concern over the low turnout of voters during Saturday’s local government elections in Lagos State, despite praising the peaceful nature of the exercise.
Speaking after casting his vote at PU 014, Elizabeth Fowler Memorial High School, Surulere, Gbajabiamila described the polls as “free and fair,” but admitted disappointment with the voter turnout.
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“I’m impressed by the peaceful atmosphere, but the turnout is low,” he said. “This shows we need more voter education on the importance of local government elections, which directly affect people more than other levels of government.”
EKO HOT BLOG reports that He emphasised the need to sensitise citizens about the relevance of grassroots governance and called for collective efforts to boost participation in subsequent elections.
Meanwhile, Gbajabiamila also weighed in on the recent coalition of opposition figures under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), calling it a positive development for democracy. Though uncertain of its long-term effectiveness, he maintained that the presence of opposition is necessary to avoid sliding into a one-party system.
“In every democracy, we must have some level of opposition; otherwise, we’ll run into a one-party state. It’s a welcome development,” he said.
The opposition coalition, which includes figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna Governor Nasir el-Rufai, has vowed to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
This comes amid earlier comments by former APC chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, who controversially suggested that a one-party system in Nigeria might not be problematic if achieved through voluntary defection.
However, President Tinubu has previously assured that Nigeria will not become a one-party state, reaffirming his commitment to democratic pluralism.
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