| Abstract: |
The proliferation of end-to-end encrypted messaging applications has
fundamentally altered the landscape of political communication in Nigeria, with
WhatsApp emerging as the primary conduit for information exchange during
electoral cycles. This study interrogates the verification behaviour and sharing
patterns of WhatsApp users in Anambra State with specific reference to
unconfirmed election results circulated during the 2021 governorship and 2023
general elections. Anchored on the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) and the
Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), the research examines the cognitive,
emotional, social and structural drivers of misinformation sharing on a closed,
encrypted platform. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design and a
multi-stage (stratified–cluster–systematic) sampling technique, the study drew a
final sample of 1,200 registered voters equally distributed across Anambra State's
three senatorial districts (Anambra North, Anambra Central and Anambra South).
A structured questionnaire, validated by content experts and pilot-tested for
reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.81), was administered electronically, and the data
were analysed with Python-based statistical libraries (Pandas, NumPy, SciPy and
Statsmodels). Descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation,
multiple linear regression and the chi-square test of independence were applied to
answer five research questions and test three hypotheses. The study documents a
pronounced verification gap: only 14.0% of respondents reported verifying
election-related content often or always before forwarding it, while 65.0%
reported doing so rarely or never. A strong negative correlation was found between
digital literacy and sharing frequency (r = ?0.83, p < .001), and a multiple
regression model containing digital literacy, in-group trust and verification
likelihood explained 84.3% of the variance in sharing behaviour (R² = 0.843, p <
.001). A chi-square test of independence found no significant association between
gender and verification behaviour (?²(2, N = 1,200) = 0.001, p = .999), indicating
that the verification gap is a cross-demographic rather than a gender-specific
phenomenon. The study concludes that the unchecked circulation of unconfirmed
election results on WhatsApp in Anambra State is structurally produced by the
interaction of an information vacuum created by delayed official collation, an
architecture of trust that privileges strong social ties over source credibility, and a
general deficit in digital and media literacy. The paper recommends real-time
result-collation communication by the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), targeted lateral-reading literacy campaigns coordinated by
the National Orientation Agency (NOA), reform of the Cybercrimes Act to
distinguish coordinated inauthentic behaviour from innocent forwarding,
platform-level verification prompts, and the prioritisation of Igbo-language fact
checking content. |
