The Influence of Political Advertising on the Voting Patterns of Rural Residents in Electoral Processes: A Study on the Role of Radio Campaigns

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the extent to which radio political campaign messages influence voters' behaviour during elections. The study also examined the influence of other political campaign techniques used by political parties to influence voters' decisions in their favour. The study determined whether frequent exposure to both pro and against candidates' radio political campaign messages influenced voters' decisions on election day and also investigated the extent of the influence of opinion leaders among voters during elections.The study examined the descriptive survey; the sample population was 400 respondents who were residents in a random sampling technique in Lagos. The instrument used for the data analysis was frequency count and simple percentage. Findings from the study show that radio in Nigeria helps in political participation by motivating citizens to vote and be present for manifesto reading, unbiased in their choice of candidates, etc. It encourages people to attend rallies and be informed about the decision-making process, which is very important in the electoral process.In summary, this study sheds light on the impact of radio political campaign messages and other campaign techniques on voters' behaviour during elections. It underscores the importance of radio in promoting political participation, unbiased decision-making, and informed choices among voters. However, caution should be exercised to avoid negative influences such as sentimentalism, ethnic bias, and religious bigotry, which can undermine the integrity of the electoral process and harm society.