Social Media Campaign Techniques Employed by Presidential Candidates in the 2023 Nigerian Elections

The researchers carried out the study to determine the social media campaign techniques employed by presidential candidates in the 2023 general election in Nigerian. The researchers reviewed the use of social media platforms such as Facebook, X and WhatsApp using descriptive analysis as the mode of data collection and analysis. The findings revealed that the social media platforms significantly influenced voter behaviour through diverse political messaging techniques, including hashtags, emails, videos, infographics and blogs. It was also found that social media channels used in the presidential campaign were not only used for political communication, but also, to disseminate propaganda news and to defame characters of other presidential candidates. The researchers concluded that despite the prevalence of propaganda and character assassination, social media were considered vital tools for political mobilisation. It was recommended that political actors should leverage the social media for voter engagement while prioritising the dissemination of accurate information rather than for propaganda.