Abstract
This study examined the Impact of Digital Misinformation on Electoral Perception: A Survey
of Lagos Electorates’ Experiences with Twitter during the 2023 Gubernatorial Race. The
social media has become an avenue for political engagement, the curbing of misinformation
on this platform now mandates that the electoral body takes responsibility. Through the
social media like X (Twitter) a number of electorates can be reached, in this regard electoral
bodies needs to perform their statutory duties. The descriptive survey was adopted for the
study; the study was carried out among an estimated population of 5,747,193 regi stered
electorates in Lagos State; a sample of 384 respondents was selected using the Krejcie and
Morgan sample size determination table. Data were collected using a structured
questionnaire and analyzed using frequency counts and percentages. The findings revealed
that misinformation, such as fake news, manipulated media, false election result claims, and
hate speech, were found to be widespread during the 2023 Lagos State gubernatorial
election. Findings also revealed that digital misinformation on Twitter influenced
electorates’ perceptions, causing confusion, distrust in the electoral process, and biased
support for certain candidates. It was recommended that the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant stakeholders should adopt a
comprehensive digital communication strategy to counter misinformation in real time
during elections. It also emphasized that the National Orientation Agency (NOA) should
integrate digital literacy and media education into voter enlightenment programs.
Keywords: Digital misinformation, Electoral perception, X (Twitter), Lagos
electorates, Gubernatorial election, social media, Political communication, Digital
literacy
Publication Date: 2026-02-05