For the first time in my knowledgeable years, Nigeria had a third party contender in its 2023 presidential race who captured exceptional momentum among young voters. I was privileged to be among the journalists covering the rise of this candidate from the opening of the polls to the announcement of the election results at his hometown in Agulu, Anambra.
The 2023 Nigerian election was widely described as one of the most contested and consequential in the country since the end of military rule, with a record number of registered voters and unprecedented youth participation.. Voter participation in the election was fueled in part by the 2020 End SARS movement, after young Nigerians protesting police brutality were killed, galvanizing a new generation of politically engaged voters.
What struck me most was the power of emerging voices to shape the narrative. Everywhere we went youth energy was palpable young people queuing at polling units well into the evening talking about change and the future of their country. AFP and international observers noted how the electoral landscape was transformed by this surge of engagement and how the influence of urban young voters was reshaping the political story.
On the ground I moved in Onitsha and other eastern states reporting on unfolding developments verifying results and capturing reactions as the results trickled in. I learned to navigate evolving political dynamics and electoral tensions while ensuring accuracy and fairness in every dispatch. The experience deepened my understanding of the democratic process and the role of journalism in reflecting not just outcomes but the meaning of those outcomes for everyday citizens.
Covering the 2023 elections challenged me as a storyteller to translate numbers into lived experience and to convey why this election mattered to people across all walks of life.
The agency’s video made it to YouTube.