ABSTRACT
Political parties are faced with managing several challenges in trying to
ensure that their candidates win election successfully. These challenges
includes but not limited to finance, crisis management, media relations,
information management, corporate image and reputation management,
attitude and opinion management, event management, protocol functions,
community relations, employee relations, corporate advertising, audio-visual
productions, public enlightenment, corporate identity management, issues
management, government relations, competitors relations and corporate
social responsibility. In planning full course of action for a politician to gain
political advantage among the electorate and political opinion leaders, efforts
should be made to tackle the challenges mentioned above using public
relations strategies, tools, tactics etc. public relations in essence, provides
an articulate, credible and effective voice in pleading an idea on behalf of an
individual or organization before the seat of public opinion in the hope that
the projected idea will become acceptable. Political campaign is an
organized effort by a political party or candidate for public office to attract the
support of voters in an election. Hence, this study tries to examine the
impact of public relations in the Nigerian political parties' campaign
programme in the South East of Nigeria. The methodology adopted were the
use of questionnaires, observations and interview in collecting fresh data.
Random sampling method was adopted in selecting the individual
respondents. Data collected were presented, interpreted and analysed using
tables and percentages. Four hypotheses postulated for the study were
tested. The following were my major findings in the course of the study.
That some notable political parties engaged in the contest for elective
political positions. And to achieve this lofty goal, they embarked on
electioneering campaigns. The purpose served by this electioneering
campaign includes; informing and educating the electorate about the party’s
name, logo, manifesto, and other identity which differentiates it from other
political parties; canvassing or soliciting for votes on the election day;
creating mutual understanding and garnering goodwill, projecting the good
image of the party and the contesting candidates; dispersing rumor and
opinion management; and opportunity to interact with the electorate face to
face. Political parties used public relations tools, strategies and tactics to
achieve their purpose of electioneering campaign which is to win the votes
of the greater majority of the electorate. The study also found out that
public relations tools used by political parties in their campaign programme
includes; press release, feature/articles writing, press conference, political
rallies and voter’s enlightenments. Again, it was discovered that political
parties offered branded T-shirts; caps, key holders, diaries and calendars;
food stuff and drinks, cash etc to their target audience. The following are my
recommendations; that pubic relations activities during electioneering
campaign should be handled by public relations experts. That political parties
should adequately fund their public relations unit in order to prosecute
electioneering campaign activities. That public relations officers of all the
political parties should be well trained, qualified and certified by the Nigeria
Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). And that seminars, workshops, and
symposium on public relations’ related topics be organized for the leadership
of political parties at various levels. Political parities should constitute an
effective committee to monitor and evaluate the results of their public
relations activities. And that Nigeria institute of public relations should strictly
and closely monitor the activities of these public relations practitioners and
must be ever ready to bring the erring members to book
