Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and a former Minister of Information and Communication, Frank Nweke Jr., are among dignitaries expected at the July 25 public presentation of a book, written by Omoniyi Ibietan, head of media relations at Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
While Akpabio is special guest of honour at the event, scheduled for the main auditorium of the Communications and Digital Economy Complex, Mbora District, Abuja, Abbas will attend as guest of honour.
Nweke, the Enugu State governorship candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the last elections, will chair the event.
The author was Nweke’s special assistant on media during his ministerial term. Dignitaries expected at the event include: immediate past Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (rtd); Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman; founder of Agora Policy Think Tank and former Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Waziri Adio; Executive Director, Centre for Democracy and Development, Idayat Hassan; Chief Executive Officer, Premium Times Group, Dapo Olorunyomi; Deputy Dean, School of Postgraduate School, Baze University, Prof Abiodun Adeniyi; and Executive Director, CARE International, Dr Hussaini Abdu.
Published by Premium Times Books, the publishing arm of Premium Times Group, ‘Cyber Politics: Social Media, Social Demography and Voting Behaviour in Nigeria’, has been described as a classic offering with significant implications for political communication scholarship and practice.
According to a statement yesterday by Premium Times Books, the book is adjudged to have an interesting universe that uses the Nigerian election to determine how social media communication influences a cocktail of “five electoral totems: voting behaviour, social and demographic correlation, comparative social media network with respect to effectiveness of influences, motivation of social media influencers, and stimulus-response likely to enhance quality of electoral democracy.”
Umar Danbatta, a professor and executive vice chairman and chief executive officer of NCC, where the author works, will present the book to the public.
Azubuike Ishiekwene, renowned journalist, writer and editor-in-chief of Leadership Newspaper, will review the 460-page book, spread over 12 chapters.
The event will also feature a panel discussion to dissect the interface of politics and social technology, how they shaped the last two general elections in Nigeria, and possible implications of cyber politics in future elections.
The book has been available in hardback and softback versions in bookstores across the country, since June 12, 2023. Electronic copies can also be purchased on online platforms, including Amazon.
