Social Media as a Factor for Increased Frontiers of Democracy in Nigeria’s 2015 Presidential Election

Abstract

The study looked at the contributions of social media to the outcome of 2015 presidential election in Nigeria with a particular interest in uncovering social media influence on voting pattern of electorates; the reliability of information disseminated through the social media; and the perceived place of social media in the future political terrain in Nigeria. Survey method was employed with the instrumentality of questionnaire. The population of the study was the tweets, Facebook posts, and blogs on Nigeria’s 2015 presidential election. Randomly, 200 sample sizes were taken from each of the purposively selected Facebook and twitter postings. Out of the 200 respondents that was selected 150 was returned and used for analysis. Findings revealed that though social media helped in creating political awareness among Nigeria’s electorates; they also served as negative propaganda platform for dissemination of hate speeches. In conclusion, the study posits that despite the relevance of social media in the politics of Nigeria, its misapplication and utilization has the potential to divide Nigerians along ethno-religious lines. The study recommends enlightenment programmes on proper social media usage as well as stringent legislation to enable users draw the line between tasteful and distasteful statements.