Social Media as a Political Resource: Exploring the Nigeria's Scenario

Abstract

The significance of the social media in widening Nigeria’s democratic space remains a phenomenon that cannot be over-emphasized. However, notwithstanding the viability of the social media in Nigeria’s democratic process, its abuses have subjected the medium to be a political resource for overheating the polity. Series of social and political uprisings have been attributed to fake reportage and hate speeches which pose serious threat to Nigeria’s national integration and survival of the political system. This makes it imperative in this study to explore the social media as instrument for political resource. The paper is a conceptual study that utilizes secondary data with a view to unraveling the ugly trend of social media abuses. With the adoption of Social Media Political Participation Model, citizens’ engagement in the political processes is well captured. The findings of the study indicate several unverified and unguided social media reportage are orchestrated by both government and private media handlers. It further testifies to the hijack of the social media for political propaganda which media ownership influences and encourages the payers of the pipers to dictate of the tunes. Invariably, such makes the owners of different of media outlets to manipulate the platforms for selfish political scores. The paper infers that regulation of the social media is germane to avoid the signal of disintegration in the country which unchecked media handlers can promote willingly and unwillingly. The regulation of social media is key to Nigeria’s unity and democratic sustainability.