2023: Northern Presidential Hopefuls Edging Southerners in Online Engagement
- Following the ban on popular microblogging platform, Twitter a few months ago, Nigerian politicians have become more active on Facebook
- Most of them have made the platform their preferred medium of communication with their supporters and citizens generally
- A social media digital research based on the activities of presidential hopefuls on Facebook has been released
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FCT, Abuja - The social media engagement report by Abuja-based digital research and communication outfit, Grand Plan has rated Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and former presidential candidate, Gbenga Olawepo Hashim as online most engaging presidential hopefuls in the country.
The quarterly report, which was released over the weekend also revealed that, apart from the advocacy of the Southern Governors Forum demanding for zoning to the south, presidential hopefuls from the region are not doing enough to engage the populace, unlike their counterpart from the north.
Source: Depositphotos
The report noted that the top four (4) most engaging presidential hopefuls at the moment are from northern Nigeria.
In a statement by the Executive Director of Grand Plan, Abdulrazaq Hamzat and seen by Legit.ng, he said the report pays special attention to the online activities of political leaders in Nigeria and the quarterly report is the combination of the monthly social media engagements of potential presidential hopeful in the country.
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Part of the statement read:
“Aspirants from the northern part of the country occupied the top 4 spots in the report, while those from the south are trailing, indicating low online public engagement by aspirants from the southern part of the country in both ruling APC and opposition PDP.
“The low engagement level of politicians from the southern part of the country is strange, considering the growing advocacy for power shift to the region, especially by Southern Governor's Forum.”
Atiku of the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) emerged top, while Olawepo-Hashim of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) came second in the quarterly report.
Atiku has a convincing lead, with 460,000 engagements in the last 3 months, while Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has 328,400 engagements.
Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki emerged third in social media engagements in this quarter, with 292,500 engagements, followed by Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, who emerged 4th with 141,000 engagements in the quarter.
While Atiku mostly focused on social activities and engagement all through the quarter, Olawepo Hashim on the other hand, mostly put a searchlight on governance issues, ranging from economy, national unity, security, foreign affairs, job creation, education, etc.
A glance at Olawepo Hashim's online page in the past three months will prepare readers for real engagement on key governance issues affecting the country and the direction his government would take if elected can be easily deduced and adequately engaged.
Kwande: Southern Governors Forum demand on 2023 can divide Nigeria
Meanwhile, the deputy chairman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Ambassador Yahaya Kwande has berated the Southern Governors Forum for its recent stance on the 2023 general elections.
Kwande, a former Nigerian ambassador to Switzerland, said the insistence of the forum that power returns back to the south in 2023 is capable of dividing the country.
He made the comment when he spoke to Arise TV via video conferencing on Tuesday, September 28.
Source: Legit.ng
