Journal of Development Communication And Applied Theatre

This study explored the extent to which X (formerly Twitter) was instrumental in representing the 2023 Nigerian presidential election among Social Sciences undergraduates at the University of Abuja. The study Anchored in Katz, Blumler, and Gurevitch’s (1974) Uses and Gratifications Theory, which posits that audiences actively select media to satisfy cognitive, affective, personal and social needs and Tajfel and Turner’s (1979) Social Identity Theory, which argues that individuals derive part of their self-concept from group memberships that shape communication and behaviour,the study examined how students accessed political information, participated in discursivesocio-political debates, and negotiated political identities. A qualitative design was employed, using semi structured interviews triangulated with students’ digital traces. Twelve purposively selected participants were drawn from four departments. The findings revealed that X facilitated gratifications for political information and participation by providing near immediacy, awarenessand opportunities for civic dialogue, and reinforcement of social identity. Categories of voters were associated with particular candidates to signal claims to power and, in some accounts, voting behaviour. However, challenges such as misinformation, tribalism, and polarisation denied students these gratifications and alienated them from participation on X. The findings emphasise both the benefits and pitfalls of X for youths’ political engagement.To strengthen youth political participation and mitigate the risks associated with social media use, this study recommends that universities integrate digital literacy programmes into curricula to equip students with critical evaluation skills, and that inclusive online communities be fostered to reduce hostile exchanges and encourage respectful civic dialogue.

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