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An Analysis of 2011 Presidential Campaign Advertisements in Nigerian National Press
Abstract
Political campaigns have remained an indispensable means of garnering support for candidates and their political parties. Though primaries are internal affairs of political parties, aspirants engage in or take their campaign for support and votes beyond the confines of their political parties and their membership roll. This is buttressed by placement of advertorials in newspapers and other mass media by various presidential candidates. In the 2011 presidential election in Nigeria, various presidential candidates across many political parties used newspapers to sell their aspirations/candidacy to the electorate for their support/votes in the general elections. This study investigated the forms, volume and contents of the political campaigns sponsored by the political parties in the selected national dailies. The study found out that eight forms or -message types‖ were used by the four major political parties/candidates. These included: general campaign information/itinerary, direct appeal for support/votes, testimonial/endorsements and story-telling/dialogue. Others include attack on opponents, indirect/subliminal political advertisement by proxy, dramatization/humour and policy thrust/progress report. 124 political advertisements were sponsored by the four political parties. Good governance attracted greatest concern of all the political parties. The study recommends that political parties should develop strategic communication plan to market their manifestoes and candidates. This is necessary because a large segment, who are not members of any political party, have to be either won over or persuaded to form positive political opinion with the resultant decision to vote.
References
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