Social Media and Democratic Governance in Akwa Ibom State (2015-2023)

Mfreke A. Umoh, Sunday E. Ibanga & Ofonmbuk E. Atakpa

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Abstract

The study focused on Social Media and Democratic Governance in Akwa Ibom State (2015- 2023). Democratic governance has been identified as a need owing to its necessity in human development. In the 21st Century, social media has become a mainstay in enhancing democracy as it serves as a platform for expressing public opinion, civic political participation, and ensuring the protection of human rights. However, the same social media has become threatening to democracy as it is used to misrepresent realities and in political blackmail. Hence, the study is generally aimed at examining the role of social media in democratic governance in Akwa Ibom State from 2015-2023. The specific objectives of the study include ascertaining whether social media has significantly promoted the protection of human rights in Akwa Ibom State from 2015-2023 and determining the extent to which social media has improved civic political engagements in Akwa Ibom State from 2015-2023. The Media Dependency Theory was adopted for the study. The research methodology adopted for the study was both qualitative and quantitative, while the research design was the descriptive survey. The sources of data were both primary and secondary. The primary data source was the questionnaire. The secondary sources of data included textbooks, journal publications, social media posts, internet sources, etc. Questionnaires were distributed to 400 sample sizes gotten from the Taro Yamane formula (N) in the 3 Senatorial Districts of Akwa Ibom State. Data were analyzed using the simple linear regression analysis through the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). It was discovered in the study that Social media has significantly promoted the protection of human rights in Akwa Ibom State from 2015-2023. It was also discovered that the extent to which social media has improved civic political engagements in Akwa Ibom State from 2015-2023 is high. It was recommended that a special human rights protection board should be established by the Akwa Ibom State Government and vested with the responsibility of receiving and investigating human rights violations reported via online platforms.

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