Social Media, Citizens’ Participation in Elections, and the Proverbial Dividends of Democracy in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic
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IGI Global
Abstract
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The objectives of this chapter are to examine social media and citizens’ participation
in elections in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic; appraise social media and delivery of
democratic dividends in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic; and identify the relationship
among social media, citizen participation in elections, and delivery of democratic
dividends in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. The study was hinged on the social capital
and democratic participant media theories and a review of relevant academic
literature. The study finds that while social media facilitated citizen participation
during elections in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, actual voter turnout was low. Also,
the study shows that in spite of social media use by Nigerian citizens, democracy
dividends are yet to be delivered to Nigerian citizens. And lastly, findings reveal
that there appears to be a weak relationship between social media and citizens’
participation in elections in Nigeria and that social media use by Nigerians has not
delivered the dividends of democracy to the people.
Keywords
H Social Sciences (General), HM Sociology