Influence of Hate Speech on Public Perception of Presidential Candidates’ Credibility During the 2015 Presidential Election in Nigeria

Christian Alozie Ogbonna,Joseph O. Wogu,Nnanyelugo Okoro

doi:10.5539/gjhs.v12n5p20

Abstract

The study examines the influence of hate speech on public perception of presidential candidates&rsquo; credibility during the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria. The study was guided by two research questions. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study using 72,001, 204 eligible registered voters in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria. 600 questionnaires were distributed and 518 were returned for analysis through multi-stage sampling. The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation, while the hypotheses were tested using Pearson &ndash; chi-square test at 0.05 level of significance. Findings reveal that the extent to which voters were aware of hate speech against a political opponent during the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria was high. The findings further show that one of the factors that influenced hate speech against a political opponent during the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria was the political affiliation of voters. Concerning the null hypotheses, findings indicated that there was no significant relationship among the responses of the electorate in the six geo-political zones on the factors that influenced hate speech during the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria. A significant relationship was also not found on how hate speech influenced public perception of presidential candidates during the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria. The study recommends that politicians, political parties as well as their supporters should be cautioned on using social media to post hate speech, inciting messages, attack opponents, spread false news. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should propose to the National Assembly to enact laws in the electoral act that will make the use of hate speech for campaign purposes a punishable offence in the country.

Highlights

Since the return of a democratic type of government in Nigeria in 1999, many political events have evolved, each contesting to be entrusted with the affairs of the State
The findings further show that one of the factors that influenced hate speech against a political opponent during the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria was the political affiliation of voters
Ayo-Aderele (2015) in an article published by Punch Newspapers on March 10, 2015, with the caption ‘’, When Hate Speeches Threaten an Election”, decries the hate speeches that characterized political campaigns in Nigeria, from the uncouth to the uncultured and damming statements emanating from both camps, Nigeria could not have had anything worse in recent times as far as campaigns are concerned

Summary

Introduction

Since the return of a democratic type of government in Nigeria in 1999, many political events have evolved, each contesting to be entrusted with the affairs of the State. Scholars have observed that within the campaign period of the election, many hate speeches were deployed by the political class in the country Most of these derogatory speeches and advertorials both in print and broadcast media were freely used by members of the two leading political parties in the country-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) among other parties. It was estimated that media buying for political purposes cost both Peoples Democratic Parties (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) over one billion Naira during the 2015 presidential election campaigns. This was essentially done to drive home their claims and programmes. Determine factors that influenced hate speech during the 2015 election in Nigeria

Theoretical and Empirical Review

Methodology

The Preponderance of Hate Speech in the 2015 Presidential Election

Conclusion

Recommendation