Impact of Television Commercial in the Mobilization of Electorates for the 2023 Presidential Elections

This study assesses impact of television commercial in the mobilization of electorates for the 2023 presidential elections. The study, among others, aims at finding out whether exposure to television advertising influences respondents' preference for advertised candidate. The study is anchored on the agenda setting and social responsibility theory. Survey research method was adopted while the questionnaire was used as an instrument of data collection administered to 250 respondents within Ikorodu locality of Lagos State. From the findings of the study, it is clear that the mass media exist to inform, educate, and sensitize the public during electioneering process. These roles make the media an important democratic institution. The findings show that exposure to television advertising influences voters' preference for advertised candidates. The mass media mobilize the electorates towards 2023 election in Nigeria at large. Hence, the mass media has been effective in mobilizing the electorates towards elections as seen in various programmes before, during and after the elections in Nigeria. Various political programmes in media towards elections in Nigeria are evidence to the fact that they are playing their agenda-setting roles in Nigeria towards successful, free and fair election in Nigeria. The findings also show that television advertising generates quicker recall of advertised candidates in voters. Based on the findings, the study concludes that the influence of television political advertising. on electorates is such that it makes the voters to recall the advertised candidate and that it persuasively generates in voters, preference for the advertised candidate. The paper, therefore recommends, among others, that political parties in Nigeria should give due attention to the use of television for the dissemination of political activities. And since it has been discovered that there is a direct relationship between media coverage and elections result, the mass media should endeavor to give equal media coverage to political parties and their candidates. In other word, the mass media should allow political parties and their candidates a level playing for their campaign. The significant relationship between mass media coverage and election results has made imperative, media ownership both public and privates should do more to free the media practitioners to carry out their sacred responsibilities towards elections without any interference. The mass media should improve on the mobilization of electorates during elections as reliable and valid results of elections large depend on this process.