Experts in communication technology, and scholars at the weekend took a look at the role of communication technology, particularly the cyber world and opined that the world of politics may never be the same again as internet and other associated technologies would henceforth rule the world, and particularly have huge impact on freedom of choice in democracy.
The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission(NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, Prof Umar Pate, a Professor of Media and Society and Vice Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State; Prof. Peter Esuh Dean, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies University of Uyo, Azu Ishiekwene, Editor in Chief, Leadership Newspapers, and Prof. Abiodun Salawu of North-West University, South Africa are some of the eggheads that gathered at the University of Ibadan on Friday April 19, 2024 for the special reading of Dr Omoniyi Ibietan’s thought provoking book titled: “Cyber Politics: Social Media, Social Demography, and Voting Behaviour in Nigeria”.
Dr Maida in his presentation titled: “Cyberpolitics and the Re-engineering of Political Communication in Africa”, stated that without any doubt, the Internet and its associated technologies and tools, including software applications, have created some of the most radical possibilities in the human experience, particularly in the last decade.
To him the internet technology have “extended the frontiers of human freedoms and expression, while similarly enabling innovation across different forms of utilisation, and more so serving as catalyst to the ability of citizens to engage with political processes – for good and for bad”.
The EVC stated: “Dr. Ibietan’s path-breaking book, Cyber Politics: Social Media, Social Demography, and Voting Behaviour in Nigeria, broaches a radical new territory in bridging psephology (i.e. the study of elections) and communications scholarship through an examination of the interface between social media networks and voting behaviour in the country. It draws its insights from a deeply methodical study of Nigeria’s 2015 presidential election, unearthing the intersections of social and demographic factors, digital social mediation and the remarkable impact of these variables on the voting behaviour of the electorate;
It is worthy of note that the referenced national polling presented one of the most significant evidence of how social media use can shape the course of an election, having the then political opposition gaining huge mileage from its ability to deploy social media platforms towards shaping and controlling public debates, and hence triumphing at the ballot;
These days, the preponderance of data more easily reveals the impact of social media on political engagement and elections, both in emergent and evolved democracies. It requires little clairvoyance that with the spike in upheavals instigated by economic dysfunctions across the world, social media will certainly play more consequential roles in driving electoral choices going forward;
Dr. Ibietan’s book speaks to the reality of how the demographics of voting is now in favour of digital natives, whose engagements are set to upend the traditional media approaches, hence the great value in seeking an understanding of the growing interface across cyber politics, social media networks and social demography. Specifically, the author utilises tested theoretical models and research methods to scrutinise the impact of social media on contemporary politics;
Most significantly, the cutting edge of this vibrant scholarly endeavour is its proposal of a bold new methodology and approach to communications, described as the Channel-Factor Model, which situates the relationship among social media and other variables within a political environment. It is a framework for re-engineering political communication in Africa that is as radical as it is innovative;
Cyber Politics: Social Media, Social Demography and Voting Behaviour in Nigeria is an absorbing and persuasive book that adds huge insightful value to an understanding of the interactions between politics, social media networks and other variables that influence the behaviour of voters in a democracy. Therefore, we particularly appreciate Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan, a staff of the Nigerian Communications Commission, for this contribution to political communication scholarship”.
Prof Pate who doubles as the President, Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN) congratulated Ibietan on behalf of the association over the successful publication and presentations of the book.
He said: “Without a doubt, the academic community and communication scholarship require a deeper understanding of the evolving trend, influence, and impact of cyber politics in the country. I am glad Dr. Ibietan has been able to undertake intensive and extensive research in the area. Happily, the study has been transformed into a textbook for wider circulation;
A cursory reading of the book indicates that the author has been able to achieve the objectives of contributing to the conceptual and empirical dimensions of the subject in the context of political communication;
Personally, I am enriched by the arguments and conclusions in the book. The book has increased my understanding of the relationship between the ever-growing social media and politics in the country. This is very important for obvious reasons, some of which relate to the popularity and influence of the new media, particularly among the most active components of the population;
While welcoming the book as a positive addition to the growing body of literature in the area especially as it gives the Nigerian context, I am strongly recommending it as a worthy book for all students of communication studies, political science and allied fields. Our political tacticians and gladiators and other scholars of the interface between society and information and communication technologies will find the text appropriate and generously useful in helping them to deeply understand the strategies and impact of the social media in Nigerian politics;
Definitely, the author’s effort is clearly manifested in the quality of the content in the book, its appropriate theoretical grounding, and sound conclusions that are reliably valid in the Nigerian context”.
Prof Esuh said the book stands out “among the numerous publications on strategic communication in contemporary times. It offers a scholarly exploration of how social media platforms shape electoral behaviour in the intricate Nigerian electoral landscape”.
He stated further; “The book proposes the Channel-Factor Model of Communication. This model articulates the key influences and variables that impact effective communication in a political and socio-economic environment. The book clarifies the role of changing population dynamics in the developed and developing world and its implications for social media utilization in bringing about political change. These demographic trends’ impact on society and adopting new and innovative technologies imply broader political, social, and economic imperatives for all nation-states;
It is well-known that technological innovation redesigns the global geopolitical and socio-economic landscape while enabling unfettered access to information and possibilities in real-time. While the internet and, by extension, communication platforms have provided the foundation for most of these possibilities, it is essential to be conscious of the potential impact of other emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), Internet of Things (IoT), Robotics, Big Data, Block Chain and Advanced Analytics on societal trends. Important foundational lessons can be learned from the impact of social media on societal outcomes, as demonstrated by Dr. Ibietan’s book”.
Ishiekwene, a senior journalist said: “In parts of Cyber Politics, but in far greater detail in Chapters One, Five and Six, the author not only examines earlier studies on the impact of social factors, including peer, opinion leader and family influences on voter behaviour, he also sets out the broad objectives of the book, raising issues that are both specific and contemporaneous in value;
“In other words, instead of leaving the reader wondering what happened on the streets of North Carolina in Lazarsfeld’s studies decades ago and how that affects him in Gwagwalada, Abuja, Cyber Politics uses Nigeria’s 2015 general elections as anchor;
“It explores, among other things, the question of whether political conversations amongst Nigeria’s estimated 33 million active social media users, especially the influencers as of 2021 had any significant impact on the outcome of the 2015 election…;
“Cyber Politics helps me as a voter to ponder if the social networks I belong to or the influencers I follow have any potential effects on my political behaviour either in terms of mobilisation or my actual voting decisions. Sometimes we think we’re our own man, until we realise, like Pavlov’s dog, that someone somewhere might be pulling the strings.”
Prof Salawu, Ibietan’s doctoral supervisor North-West University, South Africa reiterated his joy at being his supervisor of a thesis that has now turned into a book.
“It was a pleasure supervising Omoniyi’s thesis as he was very conversant with the literature of the study. I must say that I learnt from the literature he used. Another of his strength was that he was able to do effective academic writing. This made reading his work not tortuous but exhilarating;
He was dedicated to the work that he took a year leave from his place of work to come over to Mahikeng in South Africa to exclusively focus on the study. I can say that the study was effectively done within this one year.
With the thesis turned into a book, I believe the ideas, findings and recommendations contained therein are now made available to a wider readership”, he concluded.
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