Influence of Social Media Influencer on Youths’ Choice of Political Candidates During the 2023 General Elections (a Study of Youths in Offa, Kwara State)

This study examines the influence of social media influencer on youths choice of political candidates during the 2023 general elections (a study of youths in Offa). The study was guided by four objectives specifically to determine the degree of exposure to social media influencers among youths in Offa LG during the 2023 general elections, to ascertain the perception of youths in Offa LG on the actions of social media influencers towards the 2023 general elections, to find out the influence of social media influencers on the choice of political candidates during the 2023 general elections and know the challenges caused by social media influencers on the choice of political candidates among youths in Offa LG towards sustenance of democracy. Survey research method was adopted while purposive sampling was used to select the respondents. Sample was selected from the population of the study. Questionnaire was used as the research instrument. It was noted in the findings that majority of the respondents were exposed to social media platform during election period and do access political information on the social media, the respondents perceived social media political messages they got from social media as effective in setting agenda during elections in Nigeria just as they were of the opinion that social media educates them about issues regarding election, majority of the respondents opined that social media agenda on elections influenced their attitude towards participating in elections to a high extent and respondents disagreed that social media influencer caused them to vote for a candidate they do not trust. The study concluded that when there is a free competition between more than one political parties for power, the people get opportunity to consider various alternatives policies, programmes and personalities to exercise their choice. This choice can only be made possible through periodic elections of which proper awareness and orientation promotes through the mass media can make successful. This study recommended that there should be periodic enlightenment on the use of social media platforms for political purpose among the residents of Offa local government, that enlightenment campaign should make use of such instrument like the mass media including social media platforms which the youths of Offa local government are always available on and that residents of Offa local government should be watchful of fake information on the social media platforms that could misinform them.