Nigeria is facing a new and concerning issue when it comes to elections: social media influencers are being bribed and used to rig the vote. Despite the numerous articles and reports of the government’s attempts to control the media, it appears that influencers are the newest tool being used to manipulate the outcome.
It has recently been revealed how Nigeria’s ruling party targeted prominent social media influencers with bribes to sway public opinion and rig elections. The ruling party had offered these influencers up to five million naira (around $13,000) in exchange for using their influence to promote their party and discredit the opposition.
The African Report also investigated the issue and revealed that the ruling party had recruited “corrupt influencers” to spread false information on social media in order to manipulate the outcome of the election. They noted that the ruling party had also used influencers to create fake accounts and create discourse on social media to discredit the opposition.
This use of social media influencers is concerning, as it shows just how easy it is for governments and political parties to manipulate the outcome of elections. The use of these influencers undermines democracy as it allows the ruling party to control the media and public opinion. It also means that the public is not able to make informed decisions when it comes to choosing a leader.