DIGITAL COMMUNICATION REVOLUTION AND THE CHANGING NARRATIVE OF ELECTORAL PROCESSES: FOCUS ON THE 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA

Throughout pre-colonial Africa, communication technologies have played an important role in determining the capabilities and limitations of political players and the process of bringing political change. With the advent of digital communications, narrative of governance across the globe, Africa inclusive continues to witness transformation. In Nigeria, the role of digital platforms has continued to impact the electoral processes. Nigeria’s democratic transition has witnessed massive use of social media, digital communication tools by electorates, contenders and contestants since 2015. Thus, this study investigates the function of digital revolution (social media) and the changing narrative of electoral processes in Nigeria. It adopted the cognitive mobilization theory of Russell Dalton which posits that the interplay between political participation, education and enlightenment plays a crucial role in shaping political awareness, driven by psychological factors inbuilt in human characteristics. Through the use of quantitative research method, 250 respondents in Jos, Plateau State, were sampled for the study via the adoption of random sampling technique. Data was collected through questionnaire. Five-Point Likert Scale of Strongly Agree, Agree, Strongly Disagree, Disagree and Don’t Know was adopted. Results indicated among others that social media significantly enhanced the participation of Nigerians in the 2023 general elections. The study thus recommends for increased usage of the social media and the strengthening of online communication forums in Nigeria during election to realize its full potentials.