TACKLING POLITICAL APATHY IN NIGERIA FROM THE GRASSROOT

TACKLING POLITICAL APATHY IN NIGERIA FROM THE GRASSROOT  (A CASE STUDY OF ITU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA)

CHAPTER ONE

INRODUCTION

• Background of the Study

Political Apathy is created by a feeling of disinterest in the sense of politics or Apathy towards politics. It can consist of interest apathy, voter apathy, and information apathy, it can be categorized as the indifference of an individual and a lack of letterset in participating in political activities, this includes lack of interest in elections, political events, public meetings and voting.

Political apathy can lead to low voting tumour and stagnation in a state government. Political apathy can lead to a loss of Democracy and respondents mentioned can also have social and psychological damage due to lack of personal plural interaction.

According to the North American, review lack of participation can lead to “Political Ills” such as corruption and dishonestly among politician as they are not held accountable. Country with mandatory voting has seen less accuracy of political and voter apathy. In Belgium, political participation is at 87.2% in Turkey, it is 84.3%.

Political apathy is found among young voters, the poor and minority group, the centre for information are research on civil learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) breaks down youth different group. broadly Engaged (19%) and political specialist (19%) and only voters (18%) the rest of the youth population cluster into cervical Alienated (60%) political marginalize (14%) and Engage non voters (14%). in 2016 (21%) of the Youth were Eligible to vote in the united state Between the Ages of 18-21 voter or were political active. if the youth were to participate in political process congress consist of a large number of younger congress members.

In Nigeria also, political apathy may be described as lack of interest or concerns for persons, situations or phenomena in general or in particular.

Poetically, the most important trait of the apathetic individuals is his passivity or abstention from political activity. Apathy may be regarded as total, but there also are degree of apathy too.

According to O. Oyo (1954) political apathy may be described as a latent or an expressed reluctance to be politically involved or outright negative attitude towards political involvement. He further posits that, it may also imply evident withdrawal from the political life of the community to which an individual belongs.

This habit often times manifest in form of lack of interest in all objects and symbols of politics and it is also regarded essentially as a manifest at form of political behaviour. In general, two classes of apathetic individuals have been identified by writers which are:

• They are those who fail to participate out of political indifference, exclusion or incapacity.
• They are those who consciously choose not to participate.

However, the first is said to be larger of the two classes, it includes the habitual no voters, who have little knowledge of issues or candidates and are mystified by political events. Rarely are they able to connect. What happens “out there” with the events of their own lives.

Apathy out of this kind is common among the un-educated, the inarticulate, they parochial, they isolated and those who occupy roles in which political passivity is perceived as the norm. For example, it is traditional in most cultures, especially in the third world, that politics is the primary concern of men. For example, in Nigeria, it is assumed that women should follow political lead of men, also those who are deformed with pronounced disabilities considers themselves inferior, and are classified among the excluded group. this significance of this is that political apathy is not natural, it is an influenced and can be motivated by many factors.

The second class of apathetic, though small is far more diverse. it includes those who shun politics because it seems to them as self-serving and corrupt. In their view politics is a dirty game and politicians should not be trusted.

Some adopt this view as a projection of their own hostility, or dissatisfaction with their own lives. Some citizens are apathetic  out of imperfection, some out of generalized cynicism towards mankind and all h is agreement and some merely because they are disenchanted either because politics does not seem to them sufficient meaningful.

• Statement of the Problems

Political apathy is the lack of interest displayed by citizens of a country towards politics.

In Nigeria, political apathy is one of the greatest challenges affecting barely every sector of the country today, but less attention is paid to it. A country with over 8 million citizens but recording barely 2 million participants during an electoral processes is a clear indication that something is wrong somewhere.

Electoral malpractices and bad leadership and other perceived vises are bane for the growth of political apathy.  It is at this point that a research of this nature becomes necessary.

There are some point that may be beneficial to this problem of political apathy:

• Provision of security during election.
• Incentive from the political candidate should be highly discouraged which also comes to the fact the economic decisions that will uplift the life of the people should be embark upon.

• Objective of the Study

The main objectives of this study is to investigate the role of government in the fight against political apathy in Nigeria.