THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON VOTING BEHAVIOUR IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF SELECTED VOTERS IN LAGOS

Abstract

The study was undertaken after the March 2019 Nigerian general elections. The main objective of the study was to determine the impact of social media on voting behaviour in Nigeria. The study was guided by the agenda-setting theory. The research methodology adopted was the survey method, with questionnaires as the data collection instrument. Findings from the study revealed that social media did have a positive influence on youths’ participation in the political and electoral process, especially in the 2019 Nigerian general elections. Social media influenced youths’ choice of political candidate and party but, quite amazingly, did not actually guarantee that youths voted for any political candidate just because he or she has a social media account. The study also revealed that youths regard social media as a credible medium for political discourse, and that social media influences political involvement.