We all remembered how social media started as just a medium of communication. The entertainment industry gradually tapped into the opportunities it presented, and here we are today using social media as a bridge between us and politicians. The involvement of social media in Nigerian politics has changed the narrative between politicians and voters over the years, and the changes are evident.
Many politicians today no longer feel like gods; they don’t have a choice but to drop their ego because social media hasn’t just empowered voters, it has indirectly given us the voice to call politicians to order.
Whenever I surf the internet, I see strong debate between many Nigerians and their politicians. People ask important questions they wouldn’t dare to ask physically, and these politicians don’t have a choice but to respond because they know millions of people, including bloggers, foreign governments, and opposition, are reading. They wouldn’t want to start something in the social space that would end up as a dent to their political career or ambition.
It’s interesting looking back at a time when we only saw politicians on TV and listened to them on radio. They were untouchable, and we barely had access to them, but everything changed when social media came into the picture.
During the EndSARS protest, I experienced firsthand what Nigerians are capable of doing with social media. People started calling each other out to join the protest through social media, and the number of protesters kept increasing across the nation. People mobilized, organized, and even sourced for funds to support protesters through social media, which worked out.
Even when the massacre happened at the Lekki Tollgate, social media was the only place where real information was gotten from. A lot of people were streaming the whole protest before the catastrophe struck, and the military actions were clearly broadcasted across the world. The government claimed their innocence in everything, but there was proof that those who shot at the protesters were our military, and it’s sad that they were never held accountable.
Calling out politicians for accountability has never been this easy because there are so many people with facts and information to counter politicians’ claims online, and they do it successfully, unlike before when people have the information to tackle politicians but have no platform to share them.
Like I mentioned earlier, politicians know the risk of doing silly things, whether online or offline, because everyone is watching. An example was when Naira mutilation became a serious offense, and Bobrisky was used as a scapegoat. Many Nigerians were furious and challenged the government via social media with names of politicians who should also be punished for the same offense.
Some politicians wanted to play righteous but were silenced with videos of them at events where they committed the same offense, so they had to readjust immediately. A lot of them desisted from the act of abusing Naira, and that shows how social media has empowered citizens against the government.
Social media hasn’t just benefitted citizens/voters- we have seen how politicians have used it for their good, which isn’t bad when used properly. During the last election, Peter Obi had a very strong presence online. He used social media for campaign and, surprisingly, was able to reach places where physical campaigns couldn’t. The Labour Party candidate won hearts, and we believed he was going to be the next president until the election result came out.
We have seen how politicians use social media to show the world their good work, and it’s good if they truly did those things because there are mischievous ones among them who go about lying just to win people's heart.
Aside from how we’ve used social media to our benefit, I have one issue with how we (both citizens and politicians) use social media. A lot of people blame social media for this fault, forgetting that social media would have been a failed invention without us. Spreading false information through social media for whatever reasons is wrong and I don’t know how people feel after misleading the nation with deceptive news.
Using social media to instigate fear, start tribal or religious war, is a terrible thing, and we need to desist from that act. I find it really annoying, and if possible, there should be consequences for people who engage in this act.
Social media has been a blessing, and the bad sides of it weren’t intended. We humans, being manipulative, started the whole mess with social media, and if we call ourselves to order, we will realize that there is more we can achieve with social media than we are doing now.
Posted Using INLEO
