ABSTRACT
The beauty of democracy depends not on the number of registered political parties in a country but rather on the degree of popular participation in the democratic process. The study adopted survey method- qualitative and quantitative research design. The sample consisted of 200 respondent using simple random sampling techniques to administer questionnaires to staff and students of university of Benin. Four research objectives were raised and analysed using statistical methods i.e., frequency distribution tables, simple percentages.
The research work also showed that most eligible electorates perceived voting as waste of time and only register due to the importance of voters’ cards but not interested in voting. Furthermore, the research work also revealed that that Parties’ indoor campaigns, Traditional leaders, religious clergy political sensitization information arouse the interest of eligible Nigerians towards active political participation.
To deal with these challenges, the study recommends that contemporary politicians should desist from making promises they cannot fulfill during electoral campaigns; the issue of election rigging, ballot snatching, electoral violence, intimidation, harassment, among others, should be critically curtailed and frowned at by the government, electoral umpire, security agencies, political parties, candidates and the general public, while the governments at all level should provide infrastructural and basic human needs such as qualitative education, health facilities, affordable housing, durable portable water, good roads, etc., as well as effective funded and monitored anti-poverty programmes so as to regain the trust and confidence of the masses thereby encouraging their active involvement in the electoral process and lastly, the electoral body, INEC, politicians, the media and the government should together towards voter mobilization as it is a fundamental antidote for voter apathy.
