In June 2010, President Goodluck Jonathan became the first African political leader to join Facebook. While it was the most popular social-networking platform at the time, with an estimated 1.7 million Nigerian users, it represented only a small chunk of the electorate. Yet Jonathan unlocked a political gimmick that politicians have adopted in the years since then.
In 2020, following the EndSARS movement, X (then Twitter) drew more Nigerian users with its free-speech perks and Facebook soon lost its influence in Nigerian politics. In the run-up to the 2023 general elections, for instance, Nigerian politicians took to X in a desperate attempt to win over the generation of digital young Nigerians.
The move has its merits. It bridged the gulf between politicians and their supporters. No longer limited to waving from bulletproof SUVs, politicians could now voice their criticisms of economic policies and win public support—from their smartphones. It simply imbued them with a human touch, boosting their visibility.
But this shift wasn’t without fallouts. Political clashes have become more frequent on X, where party supporters hurl expletives. Politicians and their followers routinely engage in verbal sparring.
In the aftermath of the 2023 polls, opposition politicians have continued to maintain an active online presence, churning out commentaries on national issues while maintaining a dominating presence on the political scene.
A crop of Nigerian politicians appears to be shifting beyond X. On March 18, Peter Obi announced his official TikTok to a wild reception in what seemed like a rising trend among Nigeria’s opposition leaders. Days earlier, Nasir el-Rufai had made a similar post on X.
Can TikTok play a significant role in Nigerian politics?
The move could be a strategic masterstroke. As of early 2024, the short-form video platform had amassed as many as 23.84 million Nigerian users, exceeding the tally of Nigerians on X. Since it debuted in 2020, TikTok has cultivated a larger Gen-Z following than any other social-media platform.
“It makes sense for a public figure, much less a world leader, to have social-media accounts across all platforms because that’s the fastest way to communicate with people,” reckons Olayemi Olaniyi, a public-affairs analyst.
TikTok exerts a strong influence on the global political scene. During his campaign trail, Donald Trump charmed American voters on TikTok with repeated appeals that he later claimed to have won him significant youth support. Trump even paused efforts to ban the app over concerns of national security, opting for a 90-day moratorium to allow for more discussions.
In Nigeria, opposition leaders are betting that TikTok can help them tap into a generation that is optimistic about the country’s future. With older Nigerians disillusioned by decades of corruption, unemployment, and inflation, Gen-Z Nigerians represent a more receptive electoral base to engage with.
Yet TikTok is not immune to the online hostility and toxic debates frequent on Facebook and X.
By joining TikTok, Nigerian opposition politicians are adopting a Western-style playbook, projecting themselves as forward-thinking and progressive—qualities that resonate with the country’s tech-savvy youth.
Goodluck Jonathan may have cracked the code with Facebook. Can Nigeria’s current crop of opposition leaders rehash similar success ahead of the next polls?
In June 2010, President Goodluck Jonathan became the first African political leader to join Facebook, setting a precedent for the use of social media in politics. Over time, the platform lost its political influence in Nigeria, especially after the EndSARS movement in 2020, when X (formerly Twitter) became popular for political discourse. Nigerian politicians increasingly used X to engage the tech-savvy youth of the nation, leveraging the platform's reach to connect with supporters and voice their opinions on economic policies, thereby enhancing their political visibility.
However, this shift also led to increased online political conflicts and verbal sparring on X. After the 2023 elections, opposition politicians remained active on social media, maintaining their influence. Notably, leaders like Peter Obi and Nasir el-Rufai began exploring TikTok, recognizing its large Gen-Z following and potential as a tool for political engagement. By tapping into TikTok's growing user base, which surpasses X in Nigeria, opposition leaders aim to appeal to younger voters amid widespread disillusionment among older Nigerians due to ongoing socio-economic challenges.
The move towards TikTok is inspired by similar strategies in global politics, such as Donald Trump's engagement with younger voters on the platform. However, TikTok is not without its challenges, as it also harbors the same toxic debates seen on other platforms. Nigerian opposition politicians are adopting a Western-style approach, aiming to position themselves as progressive and forward-thinking to resonate with the tech-oriented youth. The question remains whether they can replicate the social media success initially achieved by Jonathan in 2010.
