YOUTH AND POLITICAL APATHY: LESSONS FROM A SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM

Abstract

These days, voter apathy is widely known to characterize the conduct of politics even in advanced democracies. This general apathy is witnessed among all social categories but is especially rife among the youth. Governments and political office seekers in democratic countries are for this reason having to look for fresh and novel ways to get eligible voters among their populations but especially the youth or first-time voters to participate in politics and governance. In these countries, besides the more immediate reward of electoral victory for the individual or party that successfully mobilizes apathetic or first-time voters, governments are equally well aware that opinion polling is an essential barometer for evaluating governance and for gauging the pulse of the people on issues. Nigerian government has been trying out ways and means to get the citizens and youths to take an interest in its politics and policies. Setting up the National Orientation Agency (NOA) is one such experiment. But how successful has the National Orientation Agency’s e-polling platform been at interesting the Nigerian youth to participate in politics and governance? This question was at the heart of this study of the undergraduate students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka and the National Orientation Agency’s e-polling platform. It employed the survey method.  Data was collected through questionnaire. Findings point to low awareness and image problem arising from the perception of NOA as government’s propaganda machine to be impediments to youth participation in NOA e-polling. The study concluded that the effectiveness of the practice of e-polling in the country will depend on its improvement.