97-Year-Old Votes in Nigeria, Urges Youth to Never Give Up

When Isaac Adeniran Adesanmi arrived at his polling station in Ilase Ijesa, Nigeria, he came with nearly a century of wisdom and an unshakeable belief in democracy. The 97-year-old great-grandfather traveled to NUD Primary School with help from family members, determined to exercise his right to vote.

Adesanmi has been voting since the days of Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the 1960s, one of Nigeria's founding fathers. Whether living in Kaduna or back home in Osun State, he has never missed an election.

This year brought a new challenge. The biometric verification system struggled to capture his face and fingerprints due to his age. Election officials asked him to be patient and kept trying until they could help him cast his vote.

"I am 97 years old, and I started voting during the time of Awolowo," Adesanmi said at his polling unit. "I always vote anytime an election comes up."

His message to Nigeria's youth struck at the heart of voter apathy concerns across the country. If young people stay home on election day, he warned, the leaders they want won't get the chance to serve.

Sunny's Take

There's something powerful about watching someone who has witnessed decades of political change refuse to give up on the process. Adesanmi has seen Nigeria evolve through independence, military rule, and democratic transitions. He's experienced enough disappointments to justify cynicism, yet he keeps showing up.

His advice to potential winners was refreshingly simple: "I want them to do as they promise." No complex policy demands or partisan talking points, just an elder statesman asking leaders to keep their word.

At 97, Adesanmi embodies the patience and persistence democracy requires. While younger voters sometimes question whether their single ballot makes a difference, this great-grandfather keeps proving that participation itself is the point. He voted in Kaduna, he votes in Osun State, and he'll keep voting as long as he's able.

His determination reminds us that the right to vote, now taken for granted by some, remains precious to those who remember when it wasn't guaranteed. Every election offers another chance to shape the future, and Adesanmi refuses to waste a single opportunity.

Sometimes the most inspiring activists aren't the ones making headlines but the everyday citizens who quietly show up, year after year, believing their voice deserves to be heard.