INEC, new media and 2015 elections ( Nigeria )

MAY 27, 2013 BY ’SOLA FAGORUSI Globally, 2008 redefined the capacity of the new media. In that year, Senator Barack Obama emerged President of the United States of America after beating Senator John McCain by a margin of 193 electoral college votes and 8.5 million popular votes. He was able to achieve this feat by converting everyday people into engaged and empowered volunteers, donors and advocates through social networks, text messaging, e-mail promotion and online video. By the time the elections were over it was obvious that never again in the world would voting take place without due consideration for the new media as against the regular use of just the mainstream media. The new media has helped to shift focus from the hypodermic needle theory that dwells on the strong, direct effects of the media on people to the uses and gratification theory. Most people are no longer seeking out media to subscribe to but can and have become the media themselves! It is important to place the Nigerian 2011 election in perspective with a view to drawing lessons from it ahead of the 2015 election. The increase in telephone networks and internet technology in the country might play a dominant role than it did in 2011. With about 65 percent of the population under the age of 35 and INEC’s assertion that the number of registered voters in Nigeria has risen from almost 58 million in 1999 to 67 million in 2011, we may see more social media use in the 2015 elections. An example of the new media use in Africa is in Kenya. A new media tool called Ushahidi, which means ‘testimony’ in Swahili, was used during the post election crisis in that country in 2008 to provide record and report irregularities on voting day and areas where violence were taking place. Following this example, the ReVoDa was designed for the 2011 election in Nigeria. The ReVoDa allows voters to report as independent citizen observers from their respective polling units across the country, having registered to map their mobile number, name and polling unit number to specific locations. Also, it allows users to receive relevant information about the electoral process. The #RSVP, which means register, select, vote and protect, was also pushed. YouTube videos also came in handy in viewing first-hand the intellectual capacity of contenders. The NN24 debate was made available online and Ibrahim Shekarau oratory prowess was spotlighted and became an issue for discussions nationwide. The ‘My Vote Fit Change Naija’ video was also available for viewing on YouTube and had the then US Secretary of States, Hillary Clinton tweeting about it. It is commendable that the electoral adjudicator understood the need to engage with the new media. The Independent National Electoral Commission website, twitter handle, Facebook page, phone numbers and blackberry pin offered services to the electorate. With about N122.9bn spent on the 2011 elections and the modest result obtained, it is only logical to have higher expectations from INEC for the 2015 elections. Elections are not prepared for during elections! The preparation should be before elections. The pre-electoral cycle is arguably the most important phase of the electoral cycle. INEC needs to share information rapidly and strategically and also seek information on possible challenges for 2015 in various locations. The new media would make this information reach all easily. At present, the Nigerian public has heard nothing about the electoral register. The Direct Data Capturing Machine, another new media tool, needs to be properly tested and certified to be in good condition so that we don’t experienc hitches in 2015. INEC also needs to put the reviewed legal and policy framework on the coming election on the horizon now before electioneering thickens so that they are not seen as changing the goal post in the middle of the match. The means, alacrity and method of information sharing by the electoral body, among others, is of primary concern. Strategic in the electoral process is the means with which the results are announced and the fraud process it allows. While an election at a polling booth may have been adjudged as free and fair, the concern usually is whether that same result is what would be submitted at the collating centre. The last election saw how Nigerians massively deployed new media use for elections. A digital info graph, for instance, was shared on the voter’s kit. Voters were encouraged to download apps that reported election results and also go to the polling booth ready to wait the period with a bottle of water, snacks and even extra batteries. The loud re-echoing ability of the social media can be harnessed by INEC with a careful design. The issue of manipulation of election results before they get to the collation centres can be solved through the deployment of new media. Would INEC consider having members of the new corps of bloggers and social influencers as election observers? It is also time consuming to have to do accreditation on every election day in this age. A simple mapping may help tell them who is who and given the borderless nature of use, certifying them and putting their reports into consideration would help set INEC up as truly pro-people. INEC also needs to reinforce to security officials that smart phones are valid for use during elections. Voters’ education would also be easier with consistent use of social media tools on real time basis. Now is the time for INEC to facilitate digital media literacy for the election while collaborating with the electorate through the various organised groups.