Disinformation and Public Opinion in the 2023 Presidential Election in Nigeria: Key Lessons and Implications

Disinformation, the deliberate spread of false information intended to deceive, has become a major challenge in modern democracies, particularly during elections. This paper focused on examining the role of disinformation in shaping public opinion, using the 2023 Presidential Election in Nigeria as a study. It explored how disinformation campaigns influenced voter perceptions and behaviours, with social media and artificial intelligence such as deepfake technology and AI-generated misinformation, serving as key facilitators of false narratives. The research employed both qualitative and quantitative methods, drawing on primary data from questionnaires and secondary sources. The paper was anchored on Information Disorder Theory and Social Constructionism. Wardle and Derakhshan’s Information Disorder Theory (2017) explained how information, misinformation, and disinformation influence public perception, while Berger and Luckmann’s Social Constructionism (1966) illustrated how social interactions shape reality, contributing to the acceptance of false information. The findings revealed that disinformation significantly shaped public opinion during the election, with social media and AI playing a crucial role in amplifying false narratives. To address this challenge, the study recommended stringent regulation of social media platforms, the implementation of media literacy programs, and the development of advanced technological tools to counter disinformation. These measures are essential to safeguarding the integrity of electoral processes and restoring public trust in democratic institutions.