Influence of social media on electorate’s perception of political aspirants: A comparative study of Peter Obi and Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s campaign for Presidency.

Abstract:

The study focused on the influence of social media on the electorate’s perception of political aspirants: A comparative study of Peter Obi and Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s campaign for Presidency. The objectives of the study were to determine the extent to which social media influenced the electorate's choice of candidate for Presidency and to examine the influence of social media on the electorate’s perception of the presidential candidates. The study appraised several concepts such as social media, political participation, and voting behavior of the electorate. The theoretical studies’ review for the study was based on Marshall McLuhan’s Technological Determinism Theory, Agenda Setting Theory, and Social Judgment Theory. The population of the study was the electorate in Abeokuta who use social media, especially residents of Oluwo community in Abeokuta. Primary and secondary sources of data gathering were employed. The survey method, which allowed for data gathering from two hundred (200) respondents, was adopted, while one hundred and ninety-two (192) copies of the questionnaire were retrieved and processed. Data were tested using simple percentages and Chi-Square at 0.05 level of significance. Findings from the study showed that there is a significant relationship between social media and electorate's voting behavior. Social media influences the electorate’s perception of the current presidential candidates. It was concluded that social media serve as credible tools and are capable of influencing the image of political candidates in Nigeria. The study therefore recommended that political candidates should carefully plan and execute communication strategies using various social media tools, so as to fully enjoy the inherent benefits of the social media tools (i.e. credibility and awareness).