Thesis (MA) - Cyprus International University. Institute of Graduate Studies and Research Communications and Media Studies Department

Includes bibliography (sheets 64-76)

ABSTRACT There are a variety of social media programs that allow users to access and share material, as well as connect with one other. Citizens may use social media to voice their views on current political governance, which can lead to their supporting or opposing political parties in the nation during elections. Through numerous techniques by which Nigerian politicians use the media for political campaigns, social media plays an unpleasant role in political involvement. The emergence of new social media apps virtually every day has fuelled the debate about the effect of social media on political campaigns and political involvement, prompting additional research to be conducted. Many issues have emerged as a result of the country's large population's heavy usage of social media, including disinformation about specific themes like government and the economy, as well as a lack of confidence in information obtained via social media. As a consequence, the current administration is having more difficulty preserving social order. The influence of social media on political campaigning and election participation in Nigeria was investigated in this research. This is a qualitative research project. The research included both primary and secondary data collecting techniques. The primary method consisted of a in-depth interview with ten (10) participants who were chosen using a purposive sampling technique to determine whether social media has an impact on political campaigning and election participation in Nigeria, as well as content analysis to reveal the candidates' use of Facebook as a campaign tool. The study's participants were public relations executives from two political parties who worked during the 2019 election. For this research, the data gathered from the interview was evaluated using interpretation and the extraction of connected themes. The study's findings revealed that social media has both good and negative effects on political engagement and interest in engaging in political party campaigns in Nigeria during elections. As a result, it is recommended that all concerned stakeholders, including government ministries and parastatals, non-governmental organizations, private organizations, and individuals, use social media to improve political participation and camping during Nigerian elections in order to ensure a free and fair electoral process. Keywords: Election, Political Campaign, Political Participation, Social Media,