IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA USE ON VOTER EDUCATION DURING THE 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS IN BENUE STATE: A STUDY OF MAKURDI METROPOLIS

This research investigated the impact of social media use on voter education during the 2023 general elections in Benue State with focus on Makurdi Metropolis. design was used Survey research and questionnaire used to collect relevant data. Findings show that the level of access to social media contents on voter education by the people during the 2023 general elections in Makurdi Metropolis was on a high scale. It is also found that Facebook was majorly used for voter education purposes during the 2023 general elections in Makurdi Metropolis. Other social media platforms twitter, WhatsApp, used in this regard were Instagram, Twitter and Instagram. It is further indicated that social media enhanced voter education during the 2023 general elections by way in Makurdi Metropolis of educating voters on political candidates, information on the manifestoes political parties of process, and their candidates, informed people on how to go about the voting and educated people of dates/venues which social of political campaign rallies. The extent to Makurdi media enhanced voter education during the 2023 general elections in Metropolis was on a high scale. It is, however, found that the challenges to the use of social media during the 2023 general elections in Makurdi Metropolis include poor internet signals, cost of acquiring and maintaining devices, problem of power/electricity and other relevant amenities, and poor crafting of social media content on voter education. Accordingly, it is recommended, among others, that Internet service providers and stakeholders in new technologies should ensure that network signals that enhance the use of social media are continually upgraded and sustained for effective use of social media platforms for voter education.