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SOCIAL MEDIA AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION DURING THE NIGERIAN 2011 AND GHANAIAN 2012 GENERAL ELECTIONS
Abstract
Nations and politicians across the globe are cueing into “internet election” “e-election” or “e-democracy” making use of social media platforms to mobilise citizens and candidates for participation in electoral process. Nigeria and Ghana are two neighbours in the West African sub-region that share a lot of commons in political history. The two countries had their first major test of social media use for political participation during the 2011 and 2012 general elections respectively. Whereas the Ghana elections were applauded by the international community and local/foreign observers as a model for the West African sub-region, a Human Rights Watch report of April 18, 2011 observes that, that of Nigeria though heralded as among the fairest in the nation’s history, they also were among the bloodiest as not less than 800 persons were killed, more than 65,000 others displaced and over 350 places of worship either burnt or destroyed in the violence that precipitated the announcement of the election results. This study compared the use of social media for political participation in both countries during the time, with the view of identifying the lapses and the lessons in the process, for the interest of future elections in the countries. The study was anchored on Social Network and Technological Determinism. Survey and content analysis research designs were adopted. Population of the survey was youths, and focus was on Facebook. Using empirical methods, a sample size of 770 was drawn capital cities of three states in Nigeria (Kaduna, Lagos and Enugu) and capital cities of three administrative regions in Ghana (Accra, Kumasi and Tema). Content analysis enabled the analysis of manifest contents of the Facebook pages of the top two presidential candidates and those of their electoral bodies during the 90 days that form the peak of the electioneering period in both countries. Findings show that social media enhanced political participation to a large extent during the 2011 and 2012 general elections in the two countries respectively, and that the messages influenced electorate’s choices of candidates so much that, the eventual winners of the elections were those that made the highest presence on Facebook. The study further shows that whereas many used the technology to make vital input in political discourse, others used them to make reckless comments and spread false rumours believed to have contributed to the violence and tensions witnessed during the time in some states of Nigeria and a few comunities in Tamale, Ghana. The work identified “magnitude of use” and “patriotism in the use” as the key difference between Nigeria and Ghana in social media use during the periods. It also suggests that INEC did not utilise Fcebook well enough to keep the many Nigerian Facebook users abreast of her activities and election modalities, this made some individuals assume the elections were rigged to favour certain candidates, and this added to heating up the already tensed polity that eventually sparked off the violence. The work recommends greater adoption and use of social media in election processes as they epitomise the true definition of democracy and represent the media of the people by the people and for the people (“mediaocracy”). On the many lapses observed, the study calls for some sorts of monitoring mechanisms, social media education and periodic citizens’ enlightenment on how best to use the technology for safety of self and security of nations.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page
Author’s Declaration i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgements iv
Table of Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Abstract iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
- Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 8
1.3 Objectives of the Study 1.4 Research Questions 16
1.5 Research Hypotheses 17
1.6 Significance of Study 17
1.7 Scope of Study 19
1.8 Definition of Terms 20
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.0 Introduction
2.1 The Review
2.1.1 An Overview of Politics and Regime Trajectory in Ghana 17
2.1.2 The Political Turbulence of 1966-1980
2.1.3 The Return of Multi-Party Democracy in Ghana
2.1.4 The 1992 and 1996 Elections
2.1.5 The 2000 and 2004 Elections
2.1.6 The 2008 Elections
2.1.7 The 2008 Presidential Run-off
2.1.8 Background to the 2012 Elections
2.1.9 The Situation in Nigeria 26
2.1.10 Political Participation and the Mass Media 28
2.1.11 The Old Mass Media System 29
2.1.12 The New Mass Media 30
2.1.13 Defining Social Media 32
2.1.14 Social Media, Electioneering and Democracy 37
2.1.15 The Concept of Citizen Journalism 41
2.1.16 Citizen Journalism and the Nigeria’s 2011 Elections 43
2.1.17 Legal Framework for the Use of Social Media in Nigeria Elections 47
2.1.18 Use of Social Media by Key Election Stakeholders in the Nigeria 2011 Elections 49
2.1.19 Social Media Use during the Ghana’s 2012 Elections 58
2.1.20 Using Social for Political Participation in other African Countries 62
2.2 Review of Related Empirical Works
2.3 Theoretical Framework
2.3.1 Social Network Theory 67
2.3.2 The Technological Determinism Theory 69
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
- Research Design 79
- Description of Research Population 80
- Sample Size 80
3.4 Sampling Technique 86
3.5 Instrument for Data Collection 87
3.6 Validity of Research Instrument 88
3.7 Reliability of Instrument
3.8 Method of Data Collection
3.9 Method of Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.1 Questionnaire Return Rate 99
4.2 Data Presentation (Survey) 100
4.3 Presentation of the Content Analysis Data 142
4.4 Testing of Hypotheses 146
4.5 Discussion of Findings (Survey) 151 4.6 Discussion of Findings (Content Analysis) 157
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- Summary of Findings 161
5.2 Conclusion 165
5.3 Recommendations 166
5.4 Limitations of the Study 167
- Suggestions for Further Studies 168
5.6 The Study’s Contribution to Knowledge 169
Bibliography 171
Appendices 179
SOCIAL MEDIA AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION DURING THE NIGERIAN 2011 AND GHANAIAN 2012 GENERAL ELECTIONS
