THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON ELECTORAL BEHAVIUOR IN NIGERIA'S 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS

Abstract

The advent of social medial has revolutionized political communication and participation globally and Nigeria’s 2023 general election serves as a relevant case study to examine its impact on political behavior. This study investigates the multifaceted influence of social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp on voters’ attitude, perceptions and decision-making processes during the electoral cycle. The objectives were to :( i) analyze the extent to which other various factors have influenced the electorates’ behavior in 2023 general election. (ii) Investigate the impact of social media in shaping political perceptions and attitudes of voters in the 2023 general election. (iii) Critically examine the credibility of political information and misinformation across different social medial platforms during Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election. The study employed a mixed-methods technique, which integrates both quantitative and qualitative data for collection and analysis. The research methodology adopted was mixed method and three hundred and eighty-four (384) was used as the sample size for questionnaire. The data collected were gathered and analyzed with statistical method indicating frequencies and percentages (SPSS). Findings from the study revealed that social media influenced voter’s behavior because it has ability to penetrate in an individual’s bedrooms. Finally, the study therefore recommends that social media can be used to encourage youth participation in electoral processes, online registration, educate candidates and campaign staff. By implementing these recommendations Nigeria’s can harness the potential of social medial to promote informed decision-making and strengthen democratic governance in future elections.