Globally, 2008 redefined the capacity of the new media. It was the year the incumbent president of the United States, Senator Barack Obama defeated Senator John McCain by a margin of nearly 200 electoral votes and 8.5 million popular votes by converting everyday people into engaged and empowered volunteers, donors and advocates through social networks, text messaging, e-mail promotion and online video. By the time the elections were over it was obvious that never again in the world would elections be held without due consideration for new media as opposed to the reliance solely on regular use of the mainstream media. The new media has helped to shift focus from the hypodermic needle theory that dwells on the strong, direct effects of the media on people to the uses and gratification theory as people are no longer seeking out media to subscribe to but can and have become the media themselves!
Globally, 2008 redefined the capacity of the new media. It was the year the incumbent president of the United States, Senator Barack Obama defeated Senator John McCain by a margin of nearly 200 electoral votes and 8.5 million popular votes by converting everyday people into engaged and empowered volunteers, donors and advocates through social networks, text messaging, e-mail promotion and online video. By the time the elections were over it was obvious that never again in the world would elections be held without due consideration for new media as opposed to the reliance solely on regular use of the mainstream media. The new media has helped to shift focus from the hypodermic needle theory that dwells on the strong, direct effects of the media on people to the uses and gratification theory as people are no longer seeking out media to subscribe to but can and have become the media themselves!
It is important to place the Nigerian 2011 election in perspective with a view to drawing lessons from it for the 2015 election. The increase in telephone networks and internet technology in the country would play a more dominant role than it did in 2011. With about 65 percent of the population under 35 and INEC’s assertion that the number of registered voters in Nigeria has risen from almost 58 million in 1999 to 67 million in 2011 then we may see more social media use in the 2015 elections.
A leading example of the new media use in Africa was in Kenya. A new media tool called Ushahidi, which means “testimony” in Swahili, was used during the post election crisis in 2008 in Kenya to provide record and report irregularities on voting day and areas where violence was taking place. Following from this, ReVoDa was designed for the 2011 election in Nigeria. ReVoDa allows voters to report as independent citizen observers from their respective Polling Units across Nigeria, having registered to map their mobile number, name and polling unit number to specific locations. It also allows users to receive relevant information about the electoral process. The #RSVP, which means register, select, vote and protect, was also pushed. YouTube videos also came in handy in viewing first-hand the intellectual capacity of contenders. The NN24 debate was made available online and Ibrahim Shekarau’s oratory prowess was spotlighted and became an issue for national discussion. The ‘My Vote Fit Change Naija’ video was also available for viewing on YouTube and had the then US Secretary of States, Hillary Clinton, tweeting about it.
It’s commendable that the electoral adjudicator understood the need to engage with the new media. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s website, twitter handle, Facebook page, phone numbers and blackberry pin offered services to the electorate. With N122.9 billion spent on the 2011 elections and the modest result obtained, it is only logical to have higher expectations from INEC for the 2015 elections. Elections are not prepared for during elections! The preparation should be before elections. The pre-electoral cycle is arguably the most important phase of the electoral cycle. INEC needs to share information rapidly and strategically and also seek information on possible challenges for 2015 in various locations. The new media would make this information reach all easily. Nothing is being heard by the public currently about the electoral register. The Direct Data Capturing Machine, another new media tool also needs to be properly tested and certified so we don’t have hitches. INEC also needs to put the reviewed legal and policy framework on the coming election on the horizon now before electioneering thickens so they are not seen as changing the goal post in the middle of the match.
In 2011, Nigerians went to the polls to decide handlers of the affairs of the nation at the national, state levels and constituency jurisdictions. Democracy is about choices. Democracy is about the rule of the majority even when in some instances the decision of the majority is not the right one. The umpire of the election – INEC has since been commended for the outcome of the last election given that in comparison with elections from 1999 when the 4th republic commenced till today, the election was free and fair. It was arguably a faint reminder of the 1993 elections. As the 2015 election gathers cloud, key stakeholders are beginning to thoroughly pooh-pooh the activities of INEC with intent to keep the body on its toe. One of such events which held at the Sheraton Hotel in Abuja last week on the auspices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Democratic Governance for Development project sought to x-ray the tasks and responsibilities towards the 2015 election. The multi-stakeholders forum on elections in Nigeria was a potpourri of participants from civil society organisations, political parties, the media, the academia, INEC and other marginalised groups.
Of principal concern amongst several are the means, alacrity and method of information sharing by the electoral body. Strategic in the electoral process is the means with which the results are announced and the fraud process it allows. While an election at a polling booth may have been adjudged as free and fair, the concern usually is whether that same result is what would be submitted at the collating centre. Participants at the stakeholder’s meeting shared insights on how results are changed en-route the collation centre. The last election saw how Nigerians massively deployed new media use for elections. A digital infograph for instance was shared on the voter’s kit. Voters were encouraged to download apps that reported election results and also go to the polling booth ready to wait the period with a bottle of water, snacks and even extra batteries.
The loud re-echoing ability of the social media can be harnessed by INEC with a careful design. The issue of manipulation of election results before getting to collation centre can be solved with new media deployment. Would INEC consider having members of the new corps of bloggers and social influencers as election observers? It’s also time consuming to have to do accreditation on every election day in this age. A simple mapping may help tell them who is who and given the borderless nature of use, certifying them and putting their reports into consideration would help set INEC up as truly pro-people.
INEC also needs to reinforce to security officials that smart phones are valid for use during elections. Voters’ education would also be easier with consistent use of social media tools on a real time basis. Now is the time for INEC to facilitate digital media literacy for the election while collaborating with the electorate through the various organised groups.
@SolaFagro on Twitter
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of SaharaReporters
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