Political Communication Strategies of Nigerian Governors: A Study of Social Media Messaging

This study analyses the political communication strategies employed by Nigerian state governors on social media platforms, examining how executive officeholders use digital media to manage public perceptions, communicate policy positions, and respond to political crises. Political communication has been fundamentally transformed by social media, with elected officials now able to communicate directly with citizens outside traditional media intermediaries, reshaping the dynamics of political accountability and public discourse. Using a content analysis design, the study systematically analyses the Twitter and Facebook posts of twelve serving governors drawn from across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones over a 12-month period from January to December 2023. The political communication theory and agenda-setting framework are applied to examine the content, tone, frequency, and audience engagement patterns of gubernatorial social media communication. Findings reveal that Nigerian governors primarily use social media for agenda promotion and crisis management rather than genuine policy dialogue, with low rates of direct citizen engagement through response mechanisms. Governors from more urban states with higher social media penetration demonstrate more sophisticated communication strategies, while governors in more rural states maintain largely ceremonial digital presences. The study also documents significant variation in the degree to which governors respond to critical citizen feedback, with most employing selective engagement strategies that amplify favourable content. Recommendations include digital communication literacy training for government communication teams, policy on government social media transparency standards, and citizen engagement protocols for official state accounts. Keywords: political communication, social media, Nigerian governors, digital governance, agenda-setting