The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) invites journalists, civil society actors, and the public to the June edition of its Journalism & Society Conversations on Tuesday, 9 June 2026, by 11am (WAT). In commemoration of Nigeria’s democracy day and ahead of the upcoming 2027 general elections, this virtual dialogue will examine how accountability journalism can rebuild democratic participation, restore public trust, and mobilise citizens toward active civic engagement.
Join the conversation here.
The urgency of this discussion is underscored by a staggering, steady decline in citizen participation over nearly two decades. According to data from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), voter turnout plummeted across successive electoral cycles, dropping from 57.54% in 2007 to 53.68% in 2011, before falling further to 43.65% in 2015 and 34.75% in 2019.
This downward trend culminated in the 2023 general elections, which recorded a historical low of just 26.72% turnout, the lowest since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999. INEC highlighted the sobering reality of that cycle, where out of 93.46 million registered voters and 87.20 million collected Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs); only 24.9 million citizens cast their ballots.
A combination of rising economic hardship, pervasive insecurity, electoral fraud, misinformation, political disillusionment, weak local governance, and a widening public perception that votes do not count have all contributed to this massive civic withdrawal.
This presents a critical democratic challenge. Democracy cannot thrive where citizens withdraw from participation, lose confidence in accountability systems, or become indifferent to governance outcomes.
The conversation serves as a timely response to these challenges as Nigeria marks another Democracy Day on June 12. This date remains a poignant reminder of the historic 1993 struggle for grassroots political legitimacy. More than three decades after that fateful annulled election, June 12 continues to stand as a deeply symbolic representation of a collective national demand for legitimacy, citizen participation, and accountable governance.
Therefore, rather than focusing solely on routine electoral politics, this conversation will interrogate the deeper causes of democratic disillusionment and examine how accountability journalism can reconnect citizens to governance.
The panel will explicitly explore:
- The Root Causes: Why Nigerians are losing faith in elections and the direct link between governance failures and voter apathy.
- The Digital Threat: The role of misinformation, AI-driven manipulation, and political propaganda in shaping public perception.
- The Media’s Mandate: How newsrooms can simplify complex governance issues, sustain civic education beyond election cycles, and counter political disinformation.
- Grassroots Mobilisation: The importance of community journalism, youth participation, and digital mobilisation in strengthening civic engagement.
- The Roadmap: Practical strategies for strengthening public confidence ahead of the 2027 elections.
