Influence of Social Media on Political Participation (A Study of 2025 Local Government Elections in Osun State)

Abstract

This study examines the influence of social media on political participation among Osun State residents during the 2025 local government elections in the state. The study is guided by three specific research objectives, three research questions, and a hypothesis. Anchored on the underpinnings of the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), the study adopted a quantitative survey research design with 384 registered voters in Osogbo LGA, Iwo LGA, and Ife Central LGA selected through purposive and stratified sampling techniques as the sample size for the study, while questionnaires were deployed as the instruments of data gathering. Findings revealed that respondents actively used and followed political conversations, shared content, and relied heavily on platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter/X for updates during the 2025 local government elections in the state. It was also revealed that respondents moderately engaged in political activities on social media during the elections, but there was no strong agreement across all items measured in the study. The study concluded that social media enhanced political awareness, encouraged youth involvement, and allowed for real-time interaction between political actors and the electorate, while it was recommended that political stakeholders and electoral bodies intensify their use of social media as a legitimate space for civic education, voter mobilization, and real-time engagement, particularly targeting younger demographics who are most active online.