READERS’ PERCEPTION OF NEWSPAPERS’ COVERAGE OF THE THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF NIGERIA’S JUNE 12, 1993 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Abstract

The echoes of the inconclusive June 12, 1993 presidential election reverberated across Nigeria in 2023 as the nation marked the thirtieth anniversary of the epochal poll. It was observed that despite several studies on media coverage of the various aspects of the historic election, researchers seemed to have paid little attention to readers’ perception of newspapers’ coverage of matters relating to the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, most especially its thirtieth anniversary. This study, readers’ perception of newspapers’ coverage of the thirtieth anniversary of June 12, 1993 presidential election, was therefore undertaken to fill the gap. Perception theory was used as the framework of the study while survey was adopted for the collection, interpretation and analysis of the data quantitatively. Findings show that while most of the respondents were exposed to reading newspapers, their knowledge of June 12, 1993 presidential election and related matters was inadequate even when few of them considered the direction of newspapers’ coverage of the thirtieth anniversary of the election as positive and that it encouraged them to be more patriotic in the nation’s pursuance of national unity, democratic ideals and good governance. It recommended that newspapers should always ensure the inclusion of democracy entrenching issues, like the ideals of June 12, 1993 presidential election, in their political reportage in order to redefine Nigeria’s political culture and philosophy as well as democratic ethos that will play down ethnic and religious considerations in Nigerians’ choice of leadership and in who or where gets what from government at all levels.