In the world today, democratic system of government is widely believed to be the ultimate ideals that modern civilization strives to create and sustain because it gives room for popular will, legitimacy, extensive representation, as well as substantive citizens’ participation and views that fit into the functioning of a fair and just society. Therefore, while citizens are expected to participate in all the political spheres of the state, government should make provision for a viable democracy. Unfortunately, what is obtained in Africa and Nigeria in particular is different as voter apathy continues to be a major concern after every poll. This paper examined the voter turnout in 2019 general elections in Oyo state and investigated the reason(s) responsible for voter apathy in the elections. Rational choice theory was adopted as the mental map for the work. While data was gathered using secondary and primary sources, it was analysed using descriptive method. The study observed that although INEC has started gaining the trust of electorates and they were pleased with the voting procedure. However, shift in the date of election, pre-voting campaign of calumny, prioritization of election and other factors were responsible for voter apathy in the election. Thus, recommendations were made.

Keywords : Election, Voter Turnout and Voter Apathy.