Influence of hate speech messages on voters’ choice of candidate in Kwara State 2019 gubernatorial election
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Date
2021-07-21
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Publisher
AIP Publishing
Abstract
The Nigerian and some Asia country's media landscape over the years has projected numerous political
campaigns that are hate speeches directed at the perceived opposition candidates and political party. This study examined
the influence of hate speech messages on voters’ choice of candidate in Kwara State, Nigeria in 2019 GE and was anchored
on the agenda-setting theory. The study used a survey research design with a single cross-sectional research method. The
study generated 464,393 registered voters as the study population. Using cluster sampling and purposive respectively to
select 400 samples. The study, therefore, discovered that social media is the most channel of exposure by respondents on
hate speech messages during the 2019 gubernatorial election in Kwara State with 66%. The study also found that the use
of hate speech undermines the importance of political candidates with 72% in any given election. The study further
discovered that the use of hate speech during elections influenced the voters by making them change from one candidate
to the other with 82% thereby encouraging more votes against the opposition party. The implication of these findings has
a strong influence on the way electorates undermine the importance of political issues and as such rendered political
candidates and parties irrelevant with a critical effect on the credibility, fairness, and smooth running of any political
landscape and the conduct of Nigerian elections in general. The paper proposes critical political education to electorates on
voting behavior to promote good governance
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Citation
Ajani, S., Y., Ahmed, K. A., Azeez, A., L., Adisa, R. M., Omoloso, A. I., Mahmood, A. F., Abdul Manaf, A., & Hassan, J. (2021). Influence of Hate Speech on Voters’ Choice of Candidate in Kwara State 2019 Gubernatorial Election. AIP Conference Proceedings of International Conference on Design Innovation, Social Science and Technology, I. Naufal, (ed.) 1-6