Use of Social Media Campaign in Shaping Akure Residents’ Opinions on Major Political Parties in 2023 Nigeria’s Polls

John Ayodele Oyewole; Toyin Adinlewa

doi:10.37284/eajis.8.1.3129

John Ayodele Oyewole Adekunle Ajasin University
Toyin Adinlewa Adekunle Ajasin University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37284/eajis.8.1.3129

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الملخص

This study explores the impact of social media campaigns on shaping the opinions of Akure residents during the 2023 elections. It focuses on how social media influences political discourse and decision-making. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, using a survey of 355 eligible Akure residents (social media users aged 18 and above) and a content analysis of 1,178 Facebook and X posts from APC, PDP, and Labour Party pages. Multi-stage cluster and convenience sampling were used for the survey. Posts from official party pages between September 28, 2022, and February 23, 2023, focusing on election-related themes, were selected using constructed and continuous week sampling to assess their influence on public opinion. The findings demonstrate that social media was pivotal in the 2023 political campaigns, with all parties actively using these platforms. The key themes promoted were the Economy and Education, with PDP and LP emphasizing consumption to production and job creation. The study shows that social media campaigns were critical in shaping public perceptions and influencing voter opinions. The conclusion highlights social media's significant capacity to affect candidate preferences, shape broader opinions, and drive changes in political behaviour. Based on these insights, it is recommended that political parties focus on making their social media campaigns more compelling and persuasive to engage voters better, complementing their use of traditional media

التنزيلات

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