CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the study The role of the Nigerian media in actualizing democracy cannot be overemphasized. The annulment of June 12, 1993 election by General Ibrahim Babangida’s regime tested the effectiveness and strength of the media. Media houses and journalists were able to sensitize the masses about the evils been perpetuated by the military and the elites who supported the annulment of the 1993 election considered being one of the freest and fairest polls ever seen in Nigeria. The Nigerian media made the Babangida regime become unpopular and eventually Babangida bowed to pressure by stepping aside on August 27, 1993. All through the Abacha years, the Nigerian media launched sustained attacks on his anti-democratic actions. General Abacha incarcerated MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential election on June 24, 1994. In order to discredit the Sani Abacha regime, the media engaged in extensive reportage and publication of anti-military news and articles. The constant flow of information supplied by the media about the misrule of the military regime and the need for democratic rule proved decisive in the mobilization of the civil society as well as the international community to pressurize the military government to relinquish power (Ngara and Esebonu, 2021). The activities of Civil Liberties Organization (CLO); Constitution Rights Project (CRP), Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR), National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADL), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Campaign for Democracy (CD) and the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) exposed the regime of Abacha in a bad light due to its poor human rights records (Obi, 2000). However, Cheating is a common feature of elections, especially in new democracies. Most research on electoral malpractice focuses on incentives for elites to engage in it (Birch 2011; Ichino & Schündeln 2021; Lehoucq & Molina 2002; Magaloni 2010; Simpser 2020; Weidmann & Callen 2021; Wilkinson 2004; Ziblatt 2019). Few scholars have studied the determinants of citizens’ attitudes towards corrupt practices such as hate speech, ballot stuffing, vote buying, and violence. While norms generally favor free and fair elections, citizen attitudes range from unconditional rejection, to apathy, to conditional or full acceptance of corrupt practices. Social norms can enable or constrain elites’ abilities to engage in certain types of malfeasance, for two reasons. First, citizens are often agents in misconduct, and greater acceptance of malpractice will increase elites’ opportunities to find amenable accomplices. Furthermore, significant public rejection of fraud can manifest in mobilizations against perpetrators (Fearon 2011; Kulov 2019; Kuntz & Thompson 2019; Lindberg 2019; Magaloni 2010; Schedler 2020; Simpser 2020; Tucker 2007), while widespread acquiescence in the face of malpractice lessens constraints on actors to violate rules in the future. What factors affect individuals’ attitudes towards electoral malpractice in post-liberalization settings? Drawing from psychological research on norms, we theorize that the types of discussions that often occur in the media in such settings can affect citizens’ perceptions and attitudes about malpractice in important ways. First, communications that highlight the prevalence of electoral misconduct affect perceptions of what is common behavior (i.e., descriptive norms). Second, communications during campaigns can cause individuals to place a higher emphasis on the importance of winning, and to deemphasize the salience of rules outlining proper behavior (i.e., injunctive norms). We expect these effects to be particularly prominent in newly liberalized settings because of the nature of the Broadcast media there. Partly due to the highly partisan nature of many media outlets in these environments, accusations of malpractice are repeated frequently, in a sensationalized manner, amidst campaign coverage that emphasizes the competitive nature of elections (Hyde & Marinov 2022). The incessant focus on alleged misconduct can suggest to citizens that the descriptive norm in their society is one of frequent malpractice, while the horserace frame of coverage can lead citizens to prioritize winning over injunctive norms proscribing malpractice. In short, it is hypothesize that exposure to media during campaigns in newly liberalized settings will increase individuals’ perceptions of the frequency of electoral malpractice, as well as their acceptance of it. 1.2 Statement of Research Problem The 2011 general elections in Nigeria were acclaimed to be relatively free, fair, credible and in compliance with international standards for conducting elections. According to European Union Election Observation Mission final report on Nigeria General Election 2011, the elections marked an important step towards strengthening democratic elections in Nigeria, but challenges remain. This is unlike previous general elections (1964, 1983, 2003 and 2007) that were roundly rejected as fraudulent and below acceptable international standards except by the winners. Though, in 2007 the winner of the presidential election saw even his own election as fraudulent until he was made to think otherwise by the court. The media as purveyors of information, no doubt, have a critical and indispensable role to play in the process and outcome of any free, fair and credible election. It is instructive that accusing fingers were pointed at the media for their perceived role in previous elections in the country. The media were perceived to have failed in their role to adequately inform and educate the electorates while maintaining neutrality in treating issues including election results and the use of the media by political candidates. As a result, the electorates lost trust and confidence in the media with its attendant political apathy and violence. This is especially so with state owned media and some privately owned media that were found to be supportive of the ruling party. Even the media regulatory body, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) was found to be handicapped by its allegiance to the government that appoints its Director General, inadequate resources to ensure effective monitoring of stations, inability to attend formally to public complaints and sanction offending stations. It is therefore pertinent to ascertain the electorates’ perception of the media and the extent to which the media were perceived to have contributed to the process and outcome of 2011 general elections in Nigeria. For instance, it will be instructive to understand the extent to which media credibility has been restored among the electorates, if it has and whether the media encouraged public participation in the elections. It is also not known the extent to which the electorates’ perception of the media coverage of 2011 elections influenced their participation in the elections. 1.3 Research Objectives The general objectives of this study are to examine audience perception of broadcast media against electoral malpractices in Nigeria while the specific objectives include: i. To know audience perception of media campaign against electoral malpractices. ii. To know the influence of media campaign electoral malpractices. iii. To identify the challenge faced b the media campaign against electoral malpractices. 1.4 Research Questions The study is guided by the under listed research questions: i. What is the influence media campaign against electoral malpractices? ii. What is audience perception of media campaign against electoral malpractices? iii. What are the challenges faced by the media in campaign against electoral malpractices? 1.5 Significance of the Study The study is significant because it exposes the value of communication on our social, economic and political life and provides information for eradicating electoral malpractices in Nigeria. Media campaign against electoral malpractices is hoped to influence positive social behaviour change in the interaction and attitude of individuals or groups in any given society by trying to influence positive societal values and electioneering process in Nigeria. The perception of the media and its content/ messages is a prerequisite to achieving peace and peaceful electoral process. This study examines the audience, perception, communication, media, conflict study and conflict management, electoral process and also election fraud because it explored the positive and negative roles of media in election process, democracy and national development. This Research also exposes the grave and negative implication of electoral malpractices in political, ethno-religious and socio-economic conflicts on security and national development. It will also add to the existing body of knowledge on perception of communication and their possible influences on attitudes and behaviour change. 1.6 Scope of the Study Obviously, the topic is very wide in its scope; therefore, analysis was limited only to perception study of the audience on the role media in broadcast media campaign against electoral malpractices, Kwara state. Media is a very broad term which cannot easily be discussed in any given research of this nature with limited time and scope. This study focuses on the perception of audience of Broadcast media messages (readers, listeners and viewers of national and international Newspapers, Radio and Television stations) on campaign against electoral malpractices as it relates to Nigeria in general and Kwara State in particular. 1.7 Definitions of Terms i. Perception: in the organization, identification and interpretation of sensory information in order to represented information or the environment. ii. Electoral malpractices: is an illegal interference with the process of an election. Acts of fraud tend to involve effective vote counts to bring about a desire election outcomes, whether by increasing the vote share of the favoured candidate, depressing the vote share of the rival candidates, r both vote buying imitation. iii. Media campaign: a social media campaign is coordinated marketing effort to reinforce or assist with a business goal using one or more social media platforms. Campaigns differ from everyday. Social media efforts because of their increased focus, targeting and measurability.
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