Women's Perception of the Use of Social Media for Political Mobilization during the 2019 Presidential Elections in Nigeria

International Journal of Communication and Media Science
© 2023 by SSRG - IJCMS Journal
Volume 10 Issue 3
Year of Publication : 2023
Authors : Chika Kate Obiechina, Anthony I. Igyuve, Muhammad S. Rabiu
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Chika Kate Obiechina, Anthony I. Igyuve, Muhammad S. Rabiu, "Women's Perception of the Use of Social Media for Political Mobilization during the 2019 Presidential Elections in Nigeria," SSRG International Journal of Communication and Media Science, vol. 10,  no. 3, pp. 29-38, 2023. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/2349641X/IJCMS-V10I3P103

Abstract:

This study aimed to determine women's perception of the use of social media for political mobilization during the 2019 Presidential Elections in Nigeria. The study had six specific objectives that were converted into research questions. A survey research method was used for the study, while a questionnaire was used to elicit data from a sample of 385 women in six capital states representing the six geo-political zones in Nigeria. Findings from the study showed that the majority of the women reported that the most used social media platforms for political mobilization during the 2019 Presidential Elections in Nigeria were Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram in that order. The extent of use of social media was found to be high. The most effective social media was found to be YouTube, while the most effective message format was that which combined more than one element. The most preferred message tone was persuasion, while women reported that changes were needed in political messages to incorporate the needs of women. Based on these findings, it was recommended, among others, that social media platforms should continue to be used for the political mobilization and engagement of women for future elections and that messages for political mobilization of women should employ various elements such as texts, videos, audio and pictures.

Keywords:

Women, Presidential elections, Perception, Social media, Political mobilization.

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