ABSTRACT
This research study examined social media as a tool for political socialization
and its impact on electoral campaigns: a case study of the Edo 2020
gubernatorial election in Edo State. The study aimed to examine role of social
media in influencing voting behaviour during the 2020 Edo state gubernatorial
elections, investigate how social media influence Edo resident participation in
politics in the 2020 guber polls, and analyze the impact of social media on
voter turnout, election outcomes, and the overall democratic process in the
2020 Edo state gubernatorial elections. Anchored agenda setting theory as
the theoretical framework of the study, the research qualitative and
quantitative methods to obtain information and employ frequencies and
simple percentage to analysis data. The research unveils that that social
media helped to sensitize electoral on the importance of elections, voters were
able to locate their polling units, galvanize electorates for massive
participation, and source for authentic information about the election, Social
media provides broad and fast access to political information, creates space
for people to discuss and debate political issues, makes it easier for people to
express their opinions and aspirations, increases transparency in the electoral
process, and enables greater citizen participation in the democratic process.
It was suggested that; periodic public enlightenment on the use of social
media platforms for political purposes especially among the youths. The
government should be at the vanguard of this campaign, using such
instruments as the ministries of information at both state and federal levels,
the National Orientation Agency and the mass media, among others and
Social media handlers should ensure that the contents of their political
campaigns are issue-based and devoid of misinformation, unwarranted
attacks and properly presented.
