In build up to 2023 general election in Nigeria, politicians across the country are engaging the populace on various social media platforms especially tech giant, Facebook, to sell their candidature to the people and Grand Plan Communication, a new media, baseline research and communication outfit, that has been monitoring their online engagements and the issues they are discussing has published a new report for the month of August.
In the latest report by Grand Plan, former Vice
President, Alh Atiku Abubakar emerged most engaging political leader in
Nigeria. The former Vice President overtook President Muhammed Buhari
and Mr Gbenga Olawepo Hashim in online engagement, both of whom were
most engaging political leaders in Nigeria for the month of July, 2021.
This was contained in a report released on Friday by Grand Plan in Abuja, Nigeria.
In
a statement by the Executive Director of Grand Plan, Mr Abdulrazaq
Hamzat, the monthly social media engagement rating is to keep tab on the
online activities of political leaders in Nigeria, especially those
identified as potential presidential hopeful for 2023 that may seek to
succeed the incumbent president, Muhammadu Buhari.
In the month
of August, Atiku Abubakar recorded 317,500 engagements on his Facebook
page, followed by former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki who recorded
198,300 engagements and Gbenga Olawepo Hashim, who recorded 160,800
engagements.
Olawepo Hashim came second, after President Muhammed
Buhari in the month of July and in August, he slipped to third position
in the overall rating.
However, despite slipping to third
position in the overall rating for August, Olawepo Hashim still remains
most engaging political leader in the ruling All Progressive Congress
(APC), while Alhaji Atiku Abubakar remain most engaging political leader
in the country aswell as in the opposition People's Democratic Party
(PDP).
According to Grand Plan, following ban on popular micro
blogging platform, Twitter few months ago, Nigerian politicians have
become more active on Facebook and most of them have made the platform
their preferred medium of communication with the people.
Facebook
is the most popular social media platform in the world with over
2.8billion users. It is also by far, the most popular social media
platform in Nigeria with over 65% control.
While their are over
104 million internet users in Nigeria, only 33 million of them are on
social media, with Facebook having over 30% of the total internet users
and more than 95% of social media users, with its over 31 million
Facebook users in Nigeria, some of whom also uses other social media
platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat Tiktalk etc.
Data by Grand
Plan showed that, President Muhammed Buhari, who emerged most engaging
political leader for the month of July, slipped to 4th position, going
three steps back, while Atiku Abubakar who was in third position in
July, went two steps up to clinch top position for August.
According
to data released by Grand Plan, Atiku Abubakar overtook President
Buhari and Olawepo Hashim, both of whom were ahead of him in the July
edition of the report.
"Other political figures, including Vice
President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello,
Chairman of Nigeria's Governor's Forum and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode
Fayemi, Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir Elrufai and others are
still behind in social media engagements"
Grand Plan explained
that, "President Muhammadu Buhari, who was on top in July with over
296,000 engagements saw his engagements go down to 96,700 in August and
on the other hand, Olawepo Hashim who came second in July saw his
engagements rose more than double, from 98,000 in July to 160,800
engagements in August, but still couldn't stop Atiku Abubakar and Bukola
Saraki from overtaking them both.
While opposition figure, Atiku
Abubakar's july engagement rose by more than 600% in August, Bukola
Saraki's rose by more than 400%, that of Olawepo Hashim also rose by
more 100%, being the best from the ruling All Progressive Congress
(APC).
"Atiku Abubakar's last 8 posts recorded the 317,500
engagements, Olawepo Hashim's last 6 posts recorded the 160,800
engagements, while Bukola Saraki's last 19 posts recorded the 198,300
engagements"
" On the other hand, the engagement of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State went down by more than 100% in August"
Executive
Director of Grand Plan, Abdulrazaq Hamzat said that, increasing
engagement imply growing interest in the candidate while decreasing
engagement signify disenchantment.
Hamzat also explained that,
contrary to popular belief that claimed suspended micro blogging
platform,tweeter is the platform for youths, available record shows that
Facebook still remains the dominant social media platform for youths.
According
to him, 65% of Facebook users are under the age of 35, which means that
they fall under the age demographic of millennials and generation z. It
is also important to note that between 25-34 years old accounted for
32.5% of Facebook users, whereas just 2.9% of users were aged between 55
and 65 years.
Grand Plan observed that, while most of the 2023
presidential hopeful were discussing general social issues that is not
connected to governance, Olawepo Hashim maintained his policy based
discuss, while Bukola Saraki focused on party politics.
"Olawepo
Hashim focused on issues of anti corruption beyond 2023, nation building
and making the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) a party of
ideology".
Grand Plan monthly social media rating of political leaders in Nigeria is released last week of every month.
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