Voting Patterns and Media Influence in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (1999–2023): A Media Historical Analysis

The presidential elections in Nigeria receive massive scholarly coverage because of the exquisite nature of the socio-political environment of the country and the symbolic nature of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in influencing electoral integrity. This paper examines how the FCT has voted since 1999, to 2023, with the discussion being whether the media has influenced the perception and choices of voters. It analyses electoral decisions in relation to changing trends, based on Agenda-Setting Theory. It examines the effects of identity politics, the influence of protest history, and exposure to both real and digital media. The qualitative design was utilised, with in-depth interviews with the stakeholders of the six FCT Area Councils and documentary sources. As the findings indicate, the FCT traditionally favoured ruling parties since 1999; however, the 2019 and 2023 elections resulted in a break, as determined by EndSARS, ethnicity, religion, and the mobilizing influence of the media, particularly social media. The paper concludes that the FCT is a reflection of the general trends of democracy in Africa, in which media power and identity politics are becoming progressively more dominant determinants of election results.