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INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON CHOICE OF CANDIDATE IN THE 2015 GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION

ABSTRACT

The emergency and rising of social media otherwise known as citizen media in this digital era have revolutionalised the socio- economic and particularly political development of Nigeria. It offers platform for political debates, political campaign and political mobilization especially in the 2015 gubernatorial election in Kwara state. The research therefore examines the influence of social media on choice of candidate in the 2015 gubernatorial election (A case study of Kwara State). Cross sectional survey research method was adopted in which data were collected among residents in Ilorin Metropolis using questionnaire as a data collection instrument. Two hundred (200) copies of questionnaires were distributed, out of which, one hundred and ninety two (192) copies were retrieved and analysed. Findings show that many of the respondents participated in the 2015 election while they also search and participated in political debate and discussions on social media before, during and after the election with many served as voters during the 2015 elections. In the same vein, social networking usage during the election was very high for the first time in Nigeria political history, no wonder many submitted that their participation in the election was as a result of the online discussion platform such as facebook and twitters. Similarly, lots of respondents were busy reading and commenting on political matters during the 2015 electioneering period. It was recommended that social media should be improved to enhance better public mobilization, sensitization and true democracy in Nigeria through citizen sensitization programmes rather than hate words, name calling and posting of unverified information or result during election.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1        Background of the study

The influence of new media technology in political communication across the globe cannot be overemphasized. In recent times, the social media are playing a dominant role in political mobilization, participation and electioneering campaigns in both developed and developing countries across the continent of the world. It is on record that since President Barrack Obama of the United State of America efficient use of the social media, there has been a growing use of new media technologies in facilitating political communication in contemporary times. Obama’s victory is largely attributed to the massive deployment of social media by his campaign organization which provided inspiration to other world leaders. For instance, President Goodluck Jonathan and other political candidates equally used the social media to execute their political campaign during the 2011 presidential elections. Throughout history, political campaigns have evolved around the advancing technologies that are available to political candidates. As technology develops, politicians are able to deploy them to facilitate the dissemination of their manifestos (Emruli & Baca, 2011 p. 155). In Nigeria, the 2011 general elections were the first litmus test of the use of social media by political parties, political candidates, and the civil society organizations. The election was historic in the sense that it was the first time ever that new media technologies like Facebook, Blogs, LinkedIn and other social networks facilitated political communication and participation in Nigeria (Dagona, Karick, & Abubakar, 2013, p.2). Thus, these new media technologies have redefined methods of political communication in

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