Psycho-Demographic Factors And The Mediating Role Of Civic Knowledge On Voter Apathy During 2019 Presidential Election In Nigeria

Abstract

Voter apathy, an aspect of voter behaviour associated with low voter turnout in elections, is a significant challenge to governance across the globe. In Nigeria, voter apathy is a recurring phenomenon particularly in Lagos State. Previous studies on voter apathy in Nigeria have focused largely on specific political issues, with little attention given to individual predisposition. This study, therefore, examined the psycho-demographic (patriotism, fear of election violence, perceived quality of candidate, learned helplessness and age) factors on voter apathy in the 2019 presidential election and the mediating role of civic knowledge among residents of Lagos State. The sequential exploratory mixed-methods (qual-Quant) design involving focus group discussion, key informant interviews and cross-sectional survey techniques were conducted. Simple random sampling was used to identify streets and homes while convenience sampling technique was adopted to select 2340 participants from the six Registration areas (wards) in Lagos State. A validated 54-item questionnaire comprising voter apathy, patriotism, fear of election violence, perceived quality of candidate, civic knowledge and re-validated learned helplessness scales were developed as measuring instruments. The qualitative data were content analyzed, while the quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multiple regression and structural equation modeling. Results indicate that patriotism, fear of election violence, perceived quality of candidate, learned helplessness and age increased voter apathy while civic knowledge reduced it. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should create awareness about the civic responsibility of voters towards mitigating voter apathy.