Senator Musiliu Obanikoro is of the opinion that Nigerians need to cultivate the habit of a good loser when they lose election.

Senator Obanikoro who served as a Senator for Lagos state in 2003-2007, said this as a guest on City Talks with Reuben Abati on Saturday.

He stated that once a political party takes a decision, it behooves every member of that party to either reluctantly or otherwise support the position of the party as long as you are a loyal member of the party.

According to him, some people feels that once they did not win a Primary election, they can no longer participate in the process in the election.

Senator Obanikoro encourages viewers to participate in an election process so that they cannot complain afterwards.

When he was fielded questions about the low turn of voters, which was a big issue in the Lagos local government election conducted on the Saturday 24^th July, 2021 and was also an issue in the last local government election in Lagos State 4 years ago, Senator Obanikoro is of the view that the Voters apathy in the election were as a result certain factors, with reference to previous election, election held recently, even the one conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is declining.

He said that low vote turn out were as result of; i) Every one of us have become a government unto ourselves. ii) Economic hardship and the belief that an average person’s vote does not count.

Until we overcome these challenges, he said, “We will have difficulties having people participate in elections.

“When good people don’t come out to participate in an election, then definitely you may not get good people to run the affairs of the local government,” Senator Obanikoro said.

According to him, the effect of low voter’s turn will make people complain about the absence of the dividends of democracy.

He said, “We must find a way as a people through community engagement to get our people come out and appreciate the essence of local government administration.”

Reacting to the question raised by Dr Abati on the controversial issue on the plan by the National Assembly to increase election funding; for that of the Presidential aspirant to N15 billion, at the governorship level to N5billion and so on.

From Senator Obanikoro’s perspective, he said that the idea of commercializing elections is very unfortunate.

He said that when he joined politics in 1990 there about, that if such impediments were placed on his way, that he wouldn’t have gotten to where is now.