Impact of Social Media on Voters Education in 2023 General Election in Nigeria

Usman Gayam Usman PhD; Assoc Prof Muhammad Bello BabanUmma

doi:10.56201/jpslr.vol.11.no8.2025.pg164.172

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Impact of Social Media on Voters Education in 2023 General Election in Nigeria

Usman Gayam Usman PhD, Assoc Prof Muhammad Bello BabanUmma

Abstract

The paper examines the impact of social media on voter education in general elections in Nigeria. The basic contention of this study is to reveals out the problem of social media and voters education. during the general elections conducted, there were concerted efforts by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Civil Society Groups (CSGs), Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs), to educate voters on their rights and civil responsibilities. But it was discovered that many voters were ignorant of the provisions of the Electoral Act with respect to voting procedures. This ignorance resulted to cancellation and voided many electoral results in Nigeria. Social media have brushed a motley of effects across the span of socio-economic, political and cultural concerns of the society. What has it done in the promotion of Civil and Political Rights in Nigeria during the 2023 general election. The paper employed secondary method of data collection, content analysis of data was collected from secondary sources such as the Internet, newspapers, textbooks, and journals. The Structural-Functionalism theory is adopted as a theoretical underpinning for the study. Social media promoted civil and political rights in 2023 general election through platforms for electioneering, and voter education. The finding of the study reveals that voter education and media literacy empowered voters on the need to support political messages, political participation and voter education during the election campaigns in Nigeria. The study therefore recommends government should monitor the social media to avoid being wrongly used by overzealous citizens to propagate falsehood, hate speech, hatred, religion and ethnic conflict during electioneering campaign in Nigeria.

Keywords

Social MediaVotersVoters EducationElections

References

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Impact of Social Media on Voters Education in 2023 General Election in Nigeria

Abstract

Keywords

References

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