ABSTRACT
The study examined the influence of social media as
emerging tool for political participation in Nigeria: A Study of 2015
Presidential Election. The emergency and proliferation of social media
otherwise known as citizen media has reshaped political education and
mobilization in Nigeria. It offers platform for political debates, cyber
activism, political campaigns and political mobilization. Survey research
method was used coupled with 300 copies of questionnaires that were
administered to the three tertiary institutions from Ogun state i.e Federal University of Agriculture,
Abeokuta, Babcock University, Ileshan and Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Ojere.
This political dispensation, political office holders, politicians, including
president and governors now have and manage social media account such as
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram among others. Political leaders and political
candidates share their political agenda and mobilize people towards it
propagation. It is recommended that, social media can be improved to enhance
better public mobilization, sensitization and true democracy in Nigeria through
citizen sensitization programmes, registration that involve national identity
card.
