Social Media Influencers and Political Participation Among Uyo Urban Residents in the 2023 General Elections

Abstract

The development of social media platforms has contributed a new vista and dimension to the political communication landscape in our country, Nigeria. This development has also given birth to a crop of emerging communicators regarded as influencers, which hitherto was either non – existent or at best shadow players in the political arena. In light of this reality, this paper examined the extent to which the activities of social media influencers had impacted the political involvement of respondents in the urban areas of Uyo has during Nigeria’s 2023 general elections. Given the increasing involvement of influencers in the political process, their capacity to mobilise, inform, and persuade had not gone unnoticed by scholars and political thinkers alike. Data were gathered through a survey research design conducted among registered voters in Uyo urban, Akwa Ibom State. With a population of 176,846, the sample size was determined using the formula provided by Philip Mayer, resulting in 383 participants. Out of the 383 questionnaires distributed, 367 were completed and returned, yielding a response rate of 95.8 percent. The study addressed five key objectives: identifying the demographics of the most influenced individuals; determining the level of exposure to social media influencers; assessing the effects of influencers on political participation; analysing the impact on political opinions; and identifying preferred digital platforms. The findings indicates that the most affected individuals were young adults (aged 18 to 29), males, and those with either secondary or tertiary education. Approximately 87% of respondents reported exposure to political content shared by influencers, which significantly shaped their involvement in voting, attending rallies, and participating in political debates. Twitter (32%) and Facebook (27%) emerged as the most influential platforms. In response to these findings, the study recommends the promotion of digital literacy, collaboration with credible influencers, engagement with underrepresented groups, the establishment of ethical guidelines for influencer activity, and the adoption of platform-specific messaging strategies to enhance democratic participation.