CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background of the Study

The nomination and election of candidates into various political offices are important in party politics and representative democracy. In every political party, such nominations are made at national and state conventions preceding the presidential, gubernatorial, and other local elections (Achor & Moguluwa, 2012). Prior to the 2023 gubernatorial elections in Nigeria, political parties through keenly contested or ‘stage-managed’ primaries produced candidates who vied for various political offices. Securing a party’s candidature is a hurdle that must be passed using intra-party connections, personal contacts, and aspirants’ credentials or achievements. After securing a party’s candidacy, the candidate and the political party have an uphill task of winning during gubernatorial elections (Achor, 2011). Irrespective of the level of political campaign strategy, the electorate (voters) is the target. They buy the political product if the product meets their needs; they are also the recipients of political messages that solicit their support or vote. The voters may vary in their expectations which could range from a desire for total change from ‘politics as usual, vibrant and visionary political leadership, to detribalized leader with holistic electorate-focused programmes (Achor, Nwachukwu & Udensi, 2016).

The debate on the influence of political campaign strategy is an ongoing one in political marketing. The debate is placed in political campaign strategy by skeptics and optimists. The latter group has argued that the emphasis political parties and their supporters give to issues in their advertorial campaigns in the media impacts voter’s candidates’ preferences. They argue that political messages advertised in the media influence those who exposed themselves to the messages during elections (Abati, 2010; Opene, 2012). However, some scholars have demonstrated that issues political parties presented to voters in the media have little or no effect on voters’ preference of candidates during elections (Okunna & Omenugha, 1999; Zumofen & Gerber, 2018). In this paradigm debate, both camps do however agree that political marketing is vital during election campaigns.

As targets in political campaign strategy (i.e. electronic advert, Social Media, Posters), the voters are influenced through various political marketing strategies and programmes. The array of political marketing strategies provides information which voters need to assess candidate’s capability in satisfying their needs. The contents of the campaign blue-print are the expressions of candidate’s objectives for seeking votes from the electorate (Owuamalam, 2014). Prior to the 2023 gubernatorial election in Anambra State, the two prominent governorship candidates (Chijoike Edeoga and peter Mbah) massively employed political marketing strategies. These were employed to woo voters or persuade them to vote candidate of their choice or political party. One prominent strategy adopted by the leading candidates was political campaign strategy, which is a kind of advertising specifically directed to the electorate to persuade them to vote for or against a candidate. Based on the above issues raised or scenarios, this study aimed at empirically studying the effect of political campaign strategy on election outcome in Anambra State 2023 gubernatorial elections.

1.2   Statement of the problem

The past two decades witnessed increased use of political campaign strategy in Nigeria as a tool for mobilizing electorate’s support for elections (Achor & Moguluwa, 2012). Prior to and during 2023 gubernatorial election in Nigeria, Political parties employed advertising to sell their parties manifestoes and candidates. Given the heated political atmosphere that pervaded Anambra state prior to the elections, it was not quite clear whether the crafted political campaign strategy messages significantly influenced the voting public. All political campaign strategy must have a message capable of influencing attitude, behavior and opinion (Nwosu & Nkamnebe, 2006). However, it was also not clear whether voters’ choice of candidate during the election were informed by the unique selling propositions used in the political campaign strategy campaigns. More so, it is not evidently clear whether the majority of voters who voted during 2023 election in Nigeria made informed voting decisions or choices as a result of their exposure to political campaign strategy messages. In political communication, the credibility of the source and medium used to impact on the message’s believability. Voters too were faced with the dilemma of either accepting or rejecting the message based on the above fact. During the electioneering campaign, the candidates used different media in delivering their message and some of the media used had a different confusing message which is not really clear if they had any impact on voter choice of candidate on the Election Day. It is against this background that this study examines the effect of political campaign strategy on the voter’s choice of gubernatorial election in Anambra State.

1.3   Objectives of the Study

The main objective of the study is to determine the effect of political campaign strategy on election outcome of gubernatorial election in Anambra State.

1.3.1 The specific objectives of the study

The specific objectives of the study are as follows:

1. To ascertain the extent which political campaign strategy affected election outcome in Anambra State gubernatorial election.
2. Ascertain whether the election outcome in Anambra State gubernatorial election was influenced by unique political party-political campaign strategy.
3. Examine if voters’ informed voting decisions were attributed to different styles by which political rally campaigns were presented/disseminated.
4. Ascertain if the outcome of an election will change when presented with different political campaign strategy.

1.4   Research Questions

The following research questions guided the study:

1. To what extent does political campaign strategy affect election outcome in Anambra State gubernatorial election?
2. Was the election outcome in Anambra State gubernatorial election influenced by unique political party-political campaign strategy?
3. Were voters’ informed voting decisions attributed to different styles by which political rally campaigns were presented/disseminated?
4. Will the outcome of an election change when presented with different political campaign strategy?

1.5   Statement of Hypotheses

The study has the following hypotheses:

H0:  There is no significant relationship between political campaign strategy and the election outcome of the Anambra state gubernatorial election.

H1:  There is significant relationship between political campaign strategy and the election outcome of the Anambra state gubernatorial election

1.6   Significance of the Study

The significance of this study cannot be over-emphasized. It will enable the politicians to identify and use campaign techniques in politics instead of touts or violent means to influence the electorate. It will enlighten politicians, political science students and the general public to know that political campaign strategy is vital for a positive election outcome. This study will serve as reference material for other researchers who may want to make further research in this area of study. For the markets, it will bring about employment and your service will be needed to give marketing system methods or strategies for the attainment of the party-political goals.

1.7   Scope of the study

Because the researcher could not be able to cover the whole of Nigeria. The researcher narrowed the study to of gubernatorial election in Anambra State; this study is expected to cover the effect of political campaign strategy on the election outcome in Anambra gubernatorial election, Anambra state.

1.8   Definition of Terms

Political party: A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections.

Political campaign strategy: A political campaign strategy is an organized effort that seeks to influence the decision-making progress within a specific group. In democracies, political campaign strategy often refer to electoral campaigns, by which representatives are chosen or referendums are decided.

Election: Election is a formal and organized choice by a vote of a person for a political office or other position.

Advertisement: a notice or announcement in a public medium promoting a product, service, or event or publicizing a job vacancy.

Electorate; all the people in a country or area who are entitled to vote in an election.

Voter; a person who votes or has the right to vote at an election.

Political Communication; can be defined as the connection concerning politics and citizens and the interaction modes that connect these groups to each other. 

Election Campaigns; Election campaigns are the means by which candidates and political parties prepare and present their ideas and positions on issues to the voters in the period proceeding Election Day.