International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR)

Background: Social media has become a tool in the hands of many Nigerian for political participation. During the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, social media messages on political issues especial campaign messages, comments on election frauds and the conduct of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) witnessed an unprecedented surge.
Objective: The study investigated how social media users in South-East, Nigeria used the platforms for curbing electoral frauds during the 2023 presidential election in the region.
Method: Descriptive survey research design was employed. Questionnaire served as instrument for data collection. Three research questions provided answers to the research problem. Multistage and purposive sampling techniques were employed in selecting the 391 respondents from the five states of the South-East that were studied.
Result: Findings show significant level of use of social media in exposing electoral frauds during the 2023 presidential election in South-East, Nigeria, and this contributed to restoring credibility in the electoral process among residents of the zone.
Conclusion: The conclusion of this study is that social media played a vital role in curbing electoral frauds during the 2023 presidential election in South-East, Nigeria.
Unique contribution: This study has contributed to the existing body of knowledge on the role of technology in strengthening democracy. It is hoped that this new insight would be found valuable by policymakers, election officials, and civil society organisations in designing strategies to ensure a more credible electoral process in Nigeria.
Key recommendation: There is need for deliberate efforts of all key stakeholders involved in the electoral process to think out modalities for keying into e-elections or technology-driven elections to minimise cases of electoral frauds in the nation’s electoral process.