ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN

ELECTIONEERING CAMPAIGNS DURING

THE 2019 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN
NIGERIA

BY

NNAJI, RITA OLUCHI

IMT/MC/H2018/051

SUPERVISOR
Dr. josephat i. okoye
Background of the Study
Social media activity presents a novel way to research and understand
attitudes, trends and media consumption. There is a growing number of
academic and commercial efforts to make sense of social media data sets
for research or (more typically) advertising and marketing purposes. From
the inception of Ushahidi to collect and map reports of violence during the
post-election period in Kenya in 2007, to the reliance on Twitter during
Iran's 2009 elections, social media platforms have become important tools
to track and map irregularities and violence, but also for communication
beyond one way messages from leaders to the people.

As yet, very little analysis focuses on the role and effectiveness of social
media in election campaign and monitoring. This project examines social
media and electioneering campaign and its purposes, using the 2019
Nigerian election as case study. The purpose of this research is to develop
an understanding of the effectiveness of social media use for election
purposes around the 2019 Nigerian election, and draw out lessons and
possibilities :or the use of social media data in other elections, and beyond.
Statement of the Research Problem
The use of social media as a formidable force for social engineering and political
electioneering has continued to grow. The technology is participatory, interactive
and cost-effective. This has made it the medium of the moment as far as political
communication and participation are concerned. The problems associated with
the usage of social media in elections in Nigeria are quite enormous. This is
associated with the problem that Nigeria has not reached the stage of the
technology coverage whereby everyone has access to the internet.

The problems associated with electioneering campaigns and processes in Nigeria

have been a cause of major concern. A major problem of elections in Nigeria is the
process of communicating political ideas to the masses. Overtime, the failure of
those seeking elective positions in Nigeria to adequately and effectively
communicate their ideas, credentials and blue print for development to their
electorates has led to the voting of wrong people into power and this has led to a
lot of accidental public servants who just go into power for personal gains and
other selfish reasons. This has regrettably led to the lack of credible and
competent people to lead the nation which precipitates to lack of development,
corruption and back of economic and social vision of the country.
Objectives of the Study
The general objective of this study was to examine the role of
social media during the 2019 Electioneering campaigns in
Nigeria.

The specific objectives of this study are to:

 Determine the role social media played in the political

participation of Nigerians during the 2019 presidential
elections.
 Examine the lapses in the use of social media for election
and electioneering campaign in Nigeria during the 2019
presidential elections.
 Compare the 2019 and other previous presidential elections
 Discover the benefits of the use of social media in
electioneering campaign.
Research Questions
The following research questions were framed to guide
the study:

 What role did social media play in the political

participation of Nigerians during the 2019 general
elections?
 What lapses were observed in the use of social media
and electioneering campaign in political participation in
Nigeria during the 2019 general elections?
 What stands out between the 2015 and 2019
presidential elections in Nigeria?
 What are the benefits derivable from the use of social
media in electioneering campaign in Nigeria?
Research Hypotheses
Ho: Social media did not play a major role in the political participation of
Nigerians in the 2019 presidential election
Hi: Social media played a major role in the political participation of
Nigerians during the 2019 elections.

Ho: There were no significant lapses in the use of social media in the 2019
presidential election.
Hi: There were significant lapses in the use of social media in the 2019
presidential election.

Ho: There are no differences in social media use between the 2015 and
2019 presidential elections in Nigeria.
Hi: There are differences in social media use between the 2015 and 2019
presidential elections in Nigeria.

Ho: There are no benefits derivable from the use of social media in
electioneering campaign in Nigeria.
Hi: There are benefits derivable from the use of social media in
electioneering campaign in Nigeria.
 Significance of the Study
 This work would enlighten them on the right methods that they should put
in place during their election campaign when they are running for office.
 This would also be of immense benefit to the citizens of the world at large
as it would open the eyes of people that not what they all see on social
media during the campaign of politicians should be believed. It will
enlighten the people the ways that politicians trick them into voting in
their favour. The work will also be of immense benefit to politicians,
government agencies and other stakeholders who will appreciate the need
to embark on sustained and an enduring enlightenment political
campaigns rather than their periodic ritual which is only embarked on
during elections as it is customary in Nigeria.
 To media professionals who offer consultancy services to politicians as well
as package their campaigns, they will see the need to re-engineer their
tactics and strategies for optimal result. It will also contribute greatly to
the academic community by providing insight into the changing voting
pattern of Nigerian electorate. Interested scholars can thus, build on
findings of the study.
 Operational Definition of Terms
 Social Media: These are sets of online media platforms that allow the
electorates to create contents, like, react, share and comment on posts
during the 2019 presidential elections.
 Electioneering Campaign: This refers to the act or process of soliciting for
support or votes by candidates during the 2019 presidential election, for a
given political party or candidate during election.
 Election: This can be defined as the actual process of choosing one or more
persons during the 2019 presidential elections, for identified position or
positions out of the more than the required number of persons that are
interested in and who have submitted themselves to judgments on the scale
of preference of others who equally have right to the position or office but
are not ready or interested in occupying it, at least for the defined period of
time.
 Presidential Election: This is the process whereby the whole electorate in
Nigeria voted for the president who is presently leading the nation.
 Voting Behaviour: This is the way in which the electorates in Nigeria tend
to vote. Voting is influenced by a number of factors. The most important are:
social class, geography, age, media etc.
Theoretical Framework

This study was anchored on:

 Technological Determinism Theory.
Theoretical Framework CONT’D
 Technological Determinism Theory
Technological determinism theory was propounded by Marshal McLuhan in 1962. In
his view, technologies shape how people as individuals in a society think, feel, act,
and how a society operates as it move from on technological age to another.
Technological determinism is a reductionist theory that presumes that a society’s
technology drives the development of its social structure and cultural values. The
term is believed to be coined by Thorsten Veblen, an American sociologist. The
technological determinist’s view is a technology led theory of social change.
Technology is seen as the “prime mover” in history. In the view of technology
determinists, particular technological developments, communication technologies
of media, or most broadly, technology in general are the role or prime antecedent
causes of changes in society, and technology is seen as the fundamental condition
undying the pattern of social organisation.

 Relevance
In relation to this study, the theory presupposes that since there are other
countervailing factors that restrain and shape the effect or influence of new media,
the latter perspective of this theory is more appropriate in this study.
Research Methodology and Design

The research methodology for this study is the survey

research methodology. The research design is the qualitative
research design.

The particular qualitative design that is used is the non-

experimental research design, which does not involve a
manipulation of the situation, circumstances or experience
of the participants.
 Area of Study

The area of study for this work Enugu urban.

Population, Sample Size and Sampling Technique

The population of this study was drawn from Enugu urban.

The sample size is 400 derived from the population using

the Taro-Yamane formula.

The researcher adopted the simple random sampling

technique.
Measuring Instrument

The instrument of data collection in this study is the

questionnaire.

The questionnaire is a structured one and is designed

with close-ended and open-ended questions.
Method of Data Collection
The methods of data collection adopted by the researcher
in this study are primary and secondary data collection
methods.

The primary source of data includes interview, discussions

and observations. The secondary source of data includes
the consultation of books, related and relevant works on
the subject matter of this study.
Summary of Findings
 Social media played a major role in the political
participation of Nigerians during the 2019
elections.
 There were significant lapses in the use of social
media in the 2019 presidential election.
 There are differences in social media use
between the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections
in Nigeria.
 There are benefits derivable from the use of
social media in electioneering campaign in
Nigeria.
Conclusion
This research work was conducted to know the role the social
media played in the 2019 presidential elections. The researcher
found out that the social media increased the active
participation of Nigerians in the electioneering campaigns of
2019. The social media bridged the information gap between
the politicians and the electorate. It aided in the generation and
dissemination of news and information even before the
broadcast media could announce it. It afforded the politicians
with a fertile ground to plant the seeds of their political
ambitions and watch it grow. The social media provided the
electorate an opportunity to discuss with the politicians and get
immediate feedback. But, however, the social media is a double
edged sword. It can swing either way. Caution must therefore
be employed when using the social media.
Recommendations
 The government should use the social media resources to reach
the people. Many people log online every day and are subscribed
to many news platforms online.
 The politicians should use the social media to reach the voters.
There are no barriers in the use of social media.
 They should however, be wary of the truthfulness of their
messages as this can make or Mar them. The social media plays
host to varieties of audiences, so the politicians must ensure that
whatever they post is true.
 The citizens should use the social media to air their views and
opinions on political matters. They should follow political news
online so that they will be up to date with information on politics.
 The social media is a veritable tool to pressurize a government
into being proactive in their work. A good social media use can
result in positive social and political changes.
THANKS