The Impact of Digital Media on Nigeria’s 2015 General Election Campaign.

Excerpts of interview granted by Jude Oguta CEO of Eloquent Touch Media to Francisca Nnanna and aired on AIT (Infotech Network)

Francisca: Good morning, can we meet you

Jude: Good morning, I am Jude Oguta, a digital media practitioner and the Managing Director of Eloquent Touch Media.

Francisca: What does your company do?

Jude: Well, we are a digital media agency involved in branding, website design, advertising and internet marketing

Francisca: Do you think the New Media is affecting this year’s election more than previous years?

Jude: Of course it is very obvious the political landscape in Nigeria has been transformed by the advent of the new media. In this year’s election in particular, the battle ground has been taken to the internet. More parties are investing online for their campaigns and others are liking, retweeting, hashtagging and sharing the messages that supports their views. The revolution is massive.

Francisca: And what in your view is responsible for this?

Jude: First is that the use of social media has increased among our youths. Many now own smartphones given them easy access to the internet. As many of our youths have become nomophobic. Social media has become a new way of changing people’s mindset and its working like magic in this years campaign.

Second is the importation of foreign tested campaign ideas that worked for Obama in the new age of digital media. One of the many ways that the election of Barack Obama as president has echoed that of John F. Kennedy is his use of this new medium that will forever change politics. For Mr. Kennedy, it was television. For Mr. Obama, it is the Internet. Obama’s campaign changed the way politicians organize supporters, advertise to voters, defend against attacks and communicate with constituents. All of which were digitally driven. Since then Obamas digital media strategist (David Axelrod) has become hot-cake in the political terrain. A political party in Nigeria is reported to have hired him and His digital tactics is already seriously yielding results and forcing the opponent to wake up to the new reality. Even the Labour Party in UK has invited the same man. And his major tool is internet

Francisca: Is there a negative side to the use of digital media?

Jude: Of course, we can be influenced to take a position without analysing the facts. This is because we tend to follow, and be followed, by people that are similar to us and agree with what we think. This often results in echo chambers – where you are bombarded with information that basically consolidates your view of the world. This can be harmful, especially when it expunges any alternative or dissenting views – it convinces people more and more that their view of the world is the correct one, and the only correct one. I am a Christian for instance and 90% of my Facebook friends are, my view will more likely reflect theirs or I begin to feel out of order and worse still conclude that their opinion represents that of the majority of masses.

Another negative side of digital media is lack of regulation. Today every Tom, Dick and Harry is a publisher. You can manufacture a lie in the secret of your bedroom and spread it in social media and people will buy into it.