ABSTRACT

The dynamic features of the 2015 presidential elections in Nigeria in which the opposition party candidate unseated the incumbent for the first time with little or no rigorous, expensive post-election litigations reveal the potential emergence and influence of political marketing in Nigerian politics. This paper argued that the market-oriented approach, the purposeful, coordinated, and strategic use of marketing communication media and tools contributed to the success of All Progressive Congress (APC) at the 2015 presidential polls. The evolution of voter-centric election campaigns indicates that marketing and communication professionals and strategies, rather than violence and electoral fraud, have dominated and will continue to dictate the outcomes of political elections in Nigeria. This study, therefore, reviewed the 2019 presidential election (the next election after the 2015 general election in Nigeria) to establish if the anticipated voter-centric election is evident. With experts interviews, direct observations, and secondary materials, we found that the 2019 presidential election was extremely monetised, violent, and fraught with all manners of electoral misconducts that are antithetical to the principles and practice of political marketing. We aver that electioneering in Nigeria is not market-driven and voter-centric.

摘要

尼日利亚 2015 年总统选举的动态特征显示，政治营销在尼日利亚政治中的潜在出现和影响，其中反对党候选人首次在很少或根本没有严格、昂贵的选举后诉讼的情况下取代了现任总统。本文认为，以市场为导向的方法、有目的、协调和战略性地使用营销传播媒体和工具有助于全进步大会 (APC) 在 2015 年总统选举中取得成功。以选民为中心的竞选活动的演变表明，营销和传播专业人士和策略，而不是暴力和选举舞弊，已经主导并将继续决定尼日利亚的政治选举结果。因此，本研究 审查了 2019 年总统选举（尼日利亚 2015 年大选之后的下一次选举）以确定预期的以选民为中心的选举是否明显。通过专家访谈、直接观察和二手资料，我们发现 2019 年总统选举货币化程度高、暴力程度高，并且充斥着各种与政治营销原则和实践背道而驰的选举不当行为。我们断言，尼日利亚的竞选活动不是以市场为导向和以选民为中心的。并且充斥着与政治营销的原则和实践背道而驰的各种选举不当行为。我们断言，尼日利亚的竞选活动不是以市场为导向和以选民为中心的。并且充斥着与政治营销的原则和实践背道而驰的各种选举不当行为。我们断言，尼日利亚的竞选活动不是以市场为导向和以选民为中心的。