PREDICTORS OF HATE SPEECH ON DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT IN ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract This study x-rayed the predictors of hate speech on democratic development in Abia State, Nigeria. The main objective of the study was to find out the predictors of hate speeches, while the specific objective was to find out the extent hate speech is practiced in Nigeria’s democratic process. The study was anchored on Stimulus Response Theory. The study adopted the survey research method with questionnaire as the instrument for data collection. The sample size was made up of 501 respondents, out of a population of 1,932,892. Multi-stage sampling technique was adopted for the study. The major findings revealed that hate speeches were used in different ways in Nigeria in the form of racial abuse, linguistic affiliations, cultural background and ethnicity. It was concluded that higher level of hate speeches during the 2015 general election in Nigeria promoted marginalisation of minority groups. It is therefore, recommended that candidates and their political parties should endeavour to focus their political campaigns on issues surrounding policy making, rather than embarking on hate speeches. Government and the electoral body should expose political parties or candidates that instigate or have the propensity to cause anti-democratic practices in the society such as violence and expose the proliferation of defamation and hate speech in campaigns aimed at influencing the electorate negatively. Keywords: Predictors, Hate Speech, Democratic, Development, Election, Political Parties, Abia State, Nigeria.