Social Media Disruption: Nigeria’s WhatsApp Politics

How are social media and digital technology shaping elections?
This question is more important than ever, yet few studies look at
WhatsApp’s impact on the political landscape—even in Africa, where
it is the dominant messaging platform. This article combines a case
study of Nigeria’s 2019 elections with surveys and analysis from
Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and Sierra Leone to show how social media are
used by parties, candidates and voters. We conclude that WhatsApp
is a disruptive technology that challenges existing hierarchies in
ways that are simultaneously emancipatory and destructive,
strengthening and undermining democratic consolidation at the same
time.