Digital Activism in Transitional Democracies

Abstract

This study examines the deployment of digital tools in pushing citizen activism on political accountability and empowerment using the 2018 #EndSARS campaign in Nigeria as point of reference. In so doing, the article explores the utility of digital activism and analyze the successes and challenges associated with the effectiveness of its use to advance citizens’ voices in transitional democracies. The study deployed Chorus Analytics to harvest and thematically analyze 13,000 tweets of Nigerians that relate to the 2018 #EndSARS campaign. The article argues that the campaign can be deemed successful given that it elicited and raised public discourse on police abuse in Nigeria. The study observes the absence of strong institutions as a challenge to digital activism in transitional democracies. The individuality of activism leaders also poses a significant danger to digital activism. The findings demonstrate the weaknesses associated with transitional democracies in the area of building strong institutions.