EYIMBATV: 2015 elections

8 Ways Technology is Influencing Nigeria’s 2015 Elections

TRENDGUY 0 2015 elections, Social media 5:36 PM

<img alt="TechCabal" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-28252" height="178" src="http://techcabal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/TechCabal-e1426079670823.png" width="320" /><br />
<br />
2011 and 2012 was when citizens found a voice via social media in 
Nigeria. The OccupyNigeria movement is the biggest case in point. 2015 
is when they will roar once more, because the general elections<br />

The elections, which shifted from its initial set date, February 14 
to March 28, is now days away, and the most influential actors on the 
political stage are finding ways to manipulate and subvert the 
conversation in their favour. Every trick in the book is in play — spoof
 Twitter accounts, viral smear campaigns, blatant astroturfing…in 
response, civil society is trying to mobilise and use technology to cut 
through the noise and help citizens engage productively.<br />

In this war of interests, here are ways technology and internet are already impacting Nigeria’s upcoming election.<br />

<h3>
Election Monitoring</h3>
Local developers have designed mobile apps and websites that can 
aggregate real-time updates from polling units from across the country; 
some of them with geo-tagging function to track these updates by 
location.<br />

Nigeria Elections<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">
 is a mobile app. It aggregates news around the elections, and also 
provides the listing of polling booths, national constituencies, 
presidential candidates and their running mates. The results of the 
election will be uploaded on the app when it is officially announced.</a><br />

INEC<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">, names after the country’s electoral umpire – Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
 -allows users get information on polling units, the election process 
and the status of their PVC. Another similar election monitoring app is 
EiE’s Revoda.</a><br />

Pollwatchng.com<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"> and Nigeriadecide.org
 are websites that which allow voters/observers submit situation reports
 about the elections in their locale. Users can upload images with 
cursory comments about the situation being reported.</a><br />

<h3>
Online Conversations and Campaigns</h3>
Traditional media: print, television and radio, remained the major 
sources of information dissemination in Nigeria, until enormous mobile 
penetration, data availability and cheap access.<br />

Internet usage in Nigeria grew by 16% in 2014, making a total of about 37.53% of Nigerians with internet access. Politicians have joined the growing online community.<br />

Political office hopefuls and their supporters have taken to twitter 
and sent out political messages with  hashtags like #GEJ_WINS, #CHANGE 
e.t.c.<br />
<br />

To show that they “get it”, both front-running political parties – 
APC and PDP – have staged Google Hangouts. Last month, the APC’s Vice 
Presidential Candidate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, and Lagos State Governor 
Babatunde Fashola answered questions from Nigerian youth. The PDP’s Google Hangout session was staged for its Lagos governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje.<br />
<br />

An overwhelming torrent of websites and apps also dot the internet designed by political parties to reach supporters. Forwardnigeria.ng, Apcgmbpyo.org
 are affiliated with the PDP and APC presidential candidates 
respectively. They have also embraced candidate-specific apps such as 
the General Buhari and the APC Situation Room for the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari and the other for his party, APC. Forward Nigeria is for the incumbent president and PDP presidential flag bearer, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.<br />

Individuals and civil organisations are also driving conversation via the internet. Enough Nigeria Coalition’s eie.ng is a website that provides information on candidates vying for political offices as well as beams INEC’s press releases. Sterling and Greenback, a Lagos-based enterprise, also created a sentiment machine that measures the level of support for different parties.<br />

<h3>
Online Advertising</h3>
Sponsored posts are popping up at every click of the mouse as there’s
 a good possibility you encounter a political ad – thanks Adsense – 
while watching a youtube video or just reading through your favourite 
blog.<br />

Social media brand promoters also known as pirates of Nigerian twitter are also part of online advertising stratagem. They are throwing their online weight behind the highest bidding political party.<br />

<h5>
<strong>Scripted message like these ones have become too popular on twitter. </strong></h5>
<img alt="tweet-001" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-28224" height="400" src="http://techcabal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/tweet-001.jpg" width="383" /><br />

8 Ways Technology is Influencing Nigeria’s 2015 Elections

2011 and 2012 was when citizens found a voice via social media in Nigeria. The OccupyNigeria movement is the biggest case in point. 2015 ...

The role of social media in the 2015 Presidential elections in Nigeria

TRENDGUY 0 2015 elections, Social media 5:34 PM

<div class="media-body" style="text-align: justify;">
                <div style="text-align: justify;">
  On the 28th of March 2015, Nigeria held its Presidential
  Elections. The elections served as a test for the fledgling
  democracy which the country has built over the years. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
  Contrary to expectations, the elections were free, fair, devoid
  of wrangling. The opposition party held sway and gained the upper
  hand it the polls. The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC)
  also took the majority of the Senate seats and enjoyed wide
  support and acceptance from the populace.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
  It was also the very first time in which a ruling party lost
  elections to an opposition, as well as the first time in which an
  incumbent president conceded defeat and congratulated the winner
  at the polls.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
  The journey to the 28th of March however started way before that
  date. The APC understood early enough the need to involve the
  youths of Nigeria, which also prides itself as the most populous
  black country in the world as well as the largest economy in
  Africa. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
  Prior to the elections, the presidential and vice presidential
  candidate of the opposition party opened Twitter accounts and
  made their presence known on social media in which they engaged
  directly with the young people. Several issues were raised and
  the candidates were able to sell their programs and policies
  directly to those who mattered most. Posts were favorited and
  retweeted by thousands and the ripple effect meant that young
  voters had access to information on the go and were able to make
  up their minds as to who to cast their votes for. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
  Several campaigns were also started by young people in which they
  became volunteers, campaigners and actively canvassed votes for
  their preferred candidate. The "Change" slogan which the
  opposition party floated as its rallying call was mostly embraced
  by all. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
  Lively discussions, posts and virtual town hall meetings held
  almost on a regular basis on cyber space. People were able to air
  their opinions, and for once in the bistros if the country, the
  young people became actively involved politically. For any
  Government to actively involve and engage with its youths, it
  must go where they are. And right now, the youths spend most of
  their time on social media and the Internet. Information is
  available on the go and people make up their minds on issues in
  the split of a second. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
  On the day in which the results were being announced there was no
  electricity, which is one of the issues Nigeria faces at the
  moment and which, hopefully, will be addressed by the incoming
  administration. Still I was able to follow up with the trends,
  news and announcements on Twitter as several young people were
  tweeting the results on the go as they were being announced. Even
  though I couldn't watch the news, I was able to follow the
  developments as they happened on the go.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
  Indeed, social media helped shape the opinion of a lot of youths
  in the elections and increased the political awareness and
  consciousness of the youths of Nigeria, be it by offering a
  platform for the candidates to interact directly with the voters
  or offering a setting to hold virtual town hall meetings.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
  The presidential elections have come and gone, winners and losers
  now know their fate. But the elections have definitely raised the
  bar for civic participation via social media for future elections
  in Nigeria.
</div>
</div>

The role of social media in the 2015 Presidential elections in Nigeria

On the 28th of March 2015, Nigeria held its Presidential Elections. The elections served as a test for the fledgling ...

The Role of Social media in 2015 elections

TRENDGUY 0 2015 elections, Social media 5:32 PM

<div style="text-align: justify;">
ocial media allows candidates to communicate directly with citizens, 
keeping control of the content, distribution and timing of their 
messages, as well as reducing their dependence on traditional 
intermediaries. It also provides a way for politicians to monitor what 
is happening in the public </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/social-media-icons.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="social-media-icons" class="alignleft wp-image-247506 size-full" height="316" src="http://cdn1.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/250x248xsocial-media-icons.jpg.pagespeed.ic.E2fwEgrtiC.jpg" width="320" /></a>sphere during an election campaign. The potential
 impact of social media campaigning first became evident in the 2008 
United States (US) presidential election. President Barack Obama’s 
campaign included the use of social media platforms such as Facebook, 
MySpace and YouTube. Others included podcasting and mobile messaging.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The election, dubbed by many, as the ‘Facebook election’, saw nearly 
70% of the vote among Americans aged 25 years and younger going to Obama</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
By 2011, Obama’s Twitter account – @BarackObama, which he used to 
promote legislation and support for his policies, was the third Twitter 
account in the world to have at least 10 million followers.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If Barack Obama’s social media team has taught us anything, it’s that
 images speak louder than words, with his most popular tweet (and the 
most retweeted tweet on the entire social network in 2012) consisting of
 a photo of him and Michelle Obama.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I believe that his Excellency, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) has been
 active on Facebook hitherto. He has been engaging the younger 
generation through his Facebook fan page for at least 4 years now, and 
his status updates are commendable.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Nigerian politicians who are not integrating active social media 
campaign into their arsenal may miss the opportunity to connect with the
 45 million internet users in Nigeria. Their social media campaign 
should include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Google Plus, 
among others.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
All over the world, old people do not embrace technology as compared 
to the younger generation. General Muhammed Buhari (GMB) may not be an 
exception. The way I see it, GEJ’s usage of social media to connect to, 
and build rapport with Nigerians is more targeted, innovative and 
effective. GMB may need to tighten his social media campaign, strategies
 and innovations.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Politics is all about connecting to the people, building rapport, and
 painting a mental picture of the future. I can call it a ‘mind’ game. 
The goal of an effective election campaign is to influence people’s 
perception and their decision. I see election campaign as marketing.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Marketing guru, Jay Conrad, author of Guerrilla Marketing says that 
people need to hear about your product or services for an average of 27 
times before they make a purchase decision. In the end, purchase 
decisions are made in the subconscious mind.</div>

The Role of Social media in 2015 elections

ocial media allows candidates to communicate directly with citizens, keeping control of the content, distribution and timing of their mes...

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8 Ways Technology is Influencing Nigeria’s 2015 Elections

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