Nigeria 2011 Elections : Candidates employ the use of New Media in campaigns

Candidates in the upcoming elections have employed the use of new media technologies in reaching out to the electorate to canvass for their votes.

Incumbent President and the flag bearer for the PDP party Goodluck Jonathan first made his intention to contest the April 2011 elections via his facebook page, where his tally of fans now exceeds 500,000.  His website explicitly outlines his plans and projections on issues from peace, development, power and energy, through transportation, industry, human rights issues and corruption, to oil & gas development, corruption, foreign policies, education and the economy. His twitter, blog and voicemail on mobile phones is evident that Goodluck Jonathan realizes the efficacy of the new media in connecting directly with citizens.

The three main opposition candidates also seem to have caught the new media bug. Nuhu Ribadu of The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) also has a web page, an interactive facebook page  with fans exceeding a little over  170,000, a streaming twitter page, a linked in contact and a YouTube page which streams videos of Ribadu on platforms and Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) is also reaching out to the electorate via his web page, facebook page with fans a little over 11, 000, twitter and a you tube page. Ibrahim Shekarau of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) on the other hand has just a web page.

The other candidates taking advantage of the technological advancement include;  Chris Okotie who has a web page; Chief Dele Momodu who has a web page, twitter page, face book page and you tube page; John Dara, has a face book page and web page, Peter Ngangwu has a website and a face book page. Christopher Chukwudumebi Nwaokobia has an active website, a twitter page and a facebook page.

 

AEP

www.africanelections.org