A renowned rights activist, Comrade Okechukwu Nwanguma says people of the Southeastern region of Nigeria must resist the temptation of self-isolation from the politics of the country, despite the obvious political exclusion allegedly orchestrated against the region.
Nwanguma, was speaking in reaction to the very low turnout of people from the Southeast for the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration, CVR exercise across the country, and the implications for the 2027 General Elections.
Across the five states of the Southeast, statistics from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and other monitoring groups have revealed unimpressive participation during elections.
According to Nwanguma, the problem of low voter turnout is caused by several factors, including poor mobilisation by political parties that often awaken only during election season, disillusionment arising from poor performance by elected officials, fear and uncertainty fueled by insecurity, and discouraging signals from separatist groups, leading to election boycotts.
Noting that apathy is not born overnight, but accumulates, Nwanguma observed that when citizens begin to question whether their votes count, whether their leaders represent them, or whether the system is rigged against them, withdrawal becomes an act of silent protest.
He further noted that as the political architecture is being consolidated ahead of 2027, it may further narrow the space available to the South-East in national politics.
“This fear is not abstract. Since 1999, the region has not produced a president. Strategic federal appointments remain a recurring sore point.
“Security operations in the South-East are often described by locals as heavy-handed. When these realities intersect with the prolonged detention of a symbolic figure like Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, they reinforce a narrative of collective punishment.
“Exclusion, whether real or perceived, breeds alienation, which in turn breeds instability.
“The legitimacy of any democracy rests on consistency. When similar actions produce radically different consequences across regions, the perception of selective justice becomes entrenched. And when justice appears selective, national cohesion weakens.
“No region should feel perpetually targeted. No region should feel perpetually excluded,” he said.
But, the right activist believes apathy or withdrawal from participation in the system carries consequences, as politics abhors a vacuum.
He argued that if the South-East reduces its participation, others will consolidate theirs, leaving the region disengaged.
Nwanguma, who is the Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULAAC, said, “Political participation remains the most potent instrument of influence. Registration, voting, coalition-building, and strategic engagement with national institutions are not acts of submission; they are acts of power.
“At the same time, the federal government must recognise that unity cannot be demanded; it must be earned. Dialogue, fairness, and visible equity in governance are not concessions; rather, investments in stability.
“As 2027 approaches, Nigeria stands at a crossroads. The question is whether the nation will choose inclusion over hierarchy, justice over perception, mobilisation over apathy.
“History shows that regions excluded from power do not simply disappear. They reorganise, recalibrate, and reassert.
“The wiser course is not to test how long a people can endure marginalisation, but to ensure they never feel marginalised in the first place.”
