Broadcast Campaign Promises and Post-Electoral Performance Perception: A Study of the 10th Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/n08h7n77Keywords:
Agenda-Setting Theory, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Broadcast Campaign Promises, Performance Perception, political communicationAbstract
This study investigated the relationship between broadcast campaign promises and post-electoral performance perception among residents of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, focusing on the 10th Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly. Anchored on Agenda-Setting Theory, the study adopted a survey research design, collecting data from 359 valid respondents across six local government areas through multi-stage sampling. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, and Analysis of Variance at a 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that the content of broadcast campaign promises significantly shaped expectations for accountability and responsiveness (grand mean = 2.90), though a performance-perception gap emerged as respondents disagreed that Assembly members delivered on specific promises (mean = 2.28). Frequency of exposure significantly predicted perception of effectiveness (grand mean = 3.09). Content analysis identified infrastructure development as the dominant theme (100%), followed by youth empowerment (90%), education (80%), and agriculture (80%). The study concludes that broadcast campaign promises establish the psychological contract against which elected officials are evaluated, and recommends annual constituency scorecards, balanced communication strategies, and a public database of campaign promises to strengthen democratic accountability.
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