Digital Activism, Citizens’ Journalism, and Public Sphere Discourse: Patterns and Approaches of the Obidient Movement in Nigeria

This study examines how digital activism, citizen journalism, and public-sphere interactions shaped the communicative behaviour of the Obidient Movement between September 2022 and February 2023. Anchored in an interpretivist and constructivist qualitative framework, the study treats digital texts as the primary population through which political meanings are produced, contested, and circulated. A total of 500 texts from social media platforms and mainstream newspapers formed the dataset, from which 20 texts were purposively selected based on ideological depth, narrative richness, and symbolic relevance. Supplementary documentary sources and semi-structured interviews enhanced triangulation. The analysis revealed four major thematic patterns: mobilisation and visibility, media framing and narrative construction, forms of resistance and state repression, and the emergence of civic identity and political consciousness. Findings demonstrate that digital platforms served as powerful arenas for mass mobilisation and informal civic education, while citizen journalism functioned as a counter-hegemonic tool for challenging biased reportage and amplifying grassroots perspectives. Despite experiencing multiple forms of repression—legal, symbolic, and digital—the movement sustained resilience through strong counter-discursive strategies. The study concludes that the Obidient Movement signifies a major transformation in Nigeria’s democratic culture by expanding the digital public sphere, redefining civic identity, and illustrating how networked citizens can challenge elite power. It recommends strengthening digital rights, promoting ethical journalism, improving civic education, and institutionalising youth political participation