Campaign message processing and its influence on voting behavior of young adults in the 2023 Nigerian general elections

Abstract This study explores the information processing routes that a section of Nigerian voters engaged in processing persuasive political communication during the 2023 presidential elections and how this impacted on their voting decisions. Grounded in the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), the study surveyed 262 university students across six universities in Lagos State, Nigeria, on their media consumption and predilections, motivations for candidate choice, and the extent of their knowledge and scrutiny of candidates’ policy proposals. Statistical analyses, including regression models and chi-square tests, were done to test four hypotheses derived from some of the postulates of the ELM. Results showed that the depth of scrutiny (elaboration) voters applied to candidates’ policy proposals significantly increased the odds of voting for the modal (Labour Party) candidate, while manifesto knowledge and the knowledge-by-elaboration interaction were not reliable predictors. The perceived focus of media coverage bore a small but significant association with policy-based motivations for candidate choice, and the peripheral cues of ethnicity, religion and, most strongly, party affiliation were all significantly related to voting decisions. These findings imply that a section of Nigerian voters, in this case young adults in universities, still base their voting decisions on the peripheral cues of ethnicity, religion and party affiliation, even though policy scrutiny on the quality of policies presented also informs their choice of candidates. The study reiterates the applicability of ELM’s postulate of an information-processing continuum, which can guide campaign managers in creating messaging that applies to a cross-section of the voting public, regardless of where they operate on the continuum. Key Words: Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), Information Processing Route(S), Persuasion Effect, Voting Behavior, Young Adults, 2023 Nigeria General Elections About the Author * Solomon Sunday Tommy is a doctoral student at the Department of Communication, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States of America. He specializes in health communication and does research at the intersection of health and political communication, with interests in U5 health, WASH, information processing and political behaviour, the social impact of media, as well as media ethics, practice and training. JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 18, No. 2, October 2026, pp. 122-135. © Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON). Article Citation Tommy, S. S. (2026). Campaign message processing and its influence on voting behavior of young adults in the 2023 Nigerian general elections. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 18 (2): 122-135. Full Article Words: 8,040 Pages: 14 To access full article, click on download.