Abstract:

WhatsApp is one of the world’s most famous social media platforms. In the run-up to Nigeria’s 2023 General Elections, the platform was used by political campaigners to disseminate messages, chase after voters, and call to action through WhatsApp groups, both large and small. This study examined the perception of WhatsApp Users in Glorious Vision University on the Platformisation of Political Campaigns during the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria. The main objectives were to: find out the level of exposure of Glorious Vision University undergraduates to the platformisation of WhatsApp during the 2023 General Elections; and ascertain how Glorious Vision University undergraduates perceived the platformisation of WhatsApp during the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria. The study used a mixed method (in-depth interview and survey research method). The population of the study was 351 while the sample size was 208.  Findings indicated that the majority of the respondents were highly exposed to the platformisation of political campaigns during the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria. Further findings revealed that the respondents had a negative perception of the platformisation of WhatsApp during the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria. The respondents noted that the political campaign messages were posted on the WhatsApp platforms they belonged to as well as their walls arbitrarily. The study recommended that WhatsApp group administrators should ensure that messages are not sent to group platforms indiscriminately and other WhatsApp users should seek the consent of their fellow users before sending political or related messages to such persons.