ABSTRACT

 

 

The study examined AUN students’ awareness of the All Progressives Congress, APC,use of the social media in the 2015 Nigerian presidential election. The study sought to gauge how much AUN students know about APC’s use of the social media in the 2015 Nigerian presidential election. The study is anchored on two relevant theories: Media Dependency and Agenda-Setting theories. The researcher used survey method,with questionnaire as the instrument for data collection. The data gathered from the closed- and open-ended items of the questionnaire were analyzed using simple percentages and frequency counts. Findings show that majority of the students know enough about the party’s strategic use of the social media in the 2015 presidential election to state that doing so made the party popular, publicized its manifestoes, as well as made it to emerge victorious at the poll. Therefore, political parties should embrace the social media wholly as a veritable toolfor carrying out electoral campaigns.

CHAPTER ONE

 

INTRODUCTION

 

1.1 Background to the Study

 

 

The Meriam-Webster dictionary (2008) defines social media as “forms of electronic communication (as websites for social networking and blogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other contents (as video)”. The same source defines networking as “the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions, specifically the cultivation of productive relationships among young adults.”

 

 

In the 21st century, the means of communication has risen to many platforms; technology has created new templates of communication everywhere — from person to person, person to mass media and vice versa. As computer technology increases, the coming of social media has become so popular that it is completely changing the way people view, send, respond to societal issues and, is opening up new ways for people to interact with one another and across the world at large without having to step a foot out of their homes or beyond the shore of their countries (Alysse B. 2010).

 

 
Social media arrival has greatly changed human way of communication. Marshal McLuhan in 1964 predicted that the world would someday become a “global village” where things that happen in some part of the world would be instantly known worldwide. People can stay directly in their homes and get latest events, information and entertainment happening around the world and enjoy full interaction with the world by pressing that single button.

Individuals, groups, organizations and even political parties are taking advantage of the opportunities which is provided by social media to mobilize millions of people to support and advance their course in many parts of the world today.

 

 

In the political sphere the social media have become a veritable tool for mobilizing citizens towards active participation in the political process and democratic projects, hence, the use of social media in politics has experienced a tremendous growth. Since Barack Obama broke the world record in the history of social media use for political purpose during the 2008 US presidential elections, many nations and politicians across the globe have continued to embrace the platform to mobilize their citizens and candidates towards active participation in the political process (Pew Research Center, J&M 2012).

 

 

On the African continent, the power of the social media is being felt during political crisis and elections among others. For instance, social media played a significant role during the Arab Spring crisis. The Arab Spring was referred to as Twitter or Facebook Revolution as modern technologies were used for communicating and interacting between participants in political protests. Social media played a central role in spreading awareness and shaping political debates about ongoing events all over the world. According to Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (2012), the 2011 elections in Nigeria witnessed a remarkable use of the social media as a tool for political communication. Personal websites, blogs, and many social media platforms were used for campaigns. Aside from this, the social media was equally used as a weapon to undermine and even destroy the image of other political parties, especially the ruling party at that time, the People‟s Democratic Party, PDP.