As Nigeria continues to embrace the digital age, social media platforms have transformed how citizens interact with public and private institutions as well as prominent personalities.

For example, with over 2.8 million followers, Dino Melaye is the most followed Nigerian politician on Instagram. He is closely followed by Bola Tinubu who has 1.1 million followers and Prof Yemi Osinbajo who has 997K followers. Others are Peter Obi with 933 thousand followers and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu ? with 882K thousand followers, among others.

In the past few weeks, TikTok has become a powerful stage and a fleeting spotlight for many politicians. Two prominent politicians ? Peter Obi and Nasir El-Rufai ? captured the hearts of many Nigerians, especially youths from the Northern and Southern bases on TikTok.

TikTok is very popular with young audiences ? and Nigerians are no exception. It appears to be the most popular social media platform in Nigeria. It has continued to gain dominance by the day, and is gradually diverting young Nigerians from other social media platforms like Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

Over time, TikTok just like other social media platforms have also played undeniable roles in spreading the popularity of viral slangs/phrases and footage. In particular, TikTok creators hold live sessions, and as such, the platform is no stranger to the whirlwind of trending topics, memes, and heated debates that define it.

Days after former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai created a TikTok account, Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), followed suit.

El-Rufai, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), argued that he created the TikTok page to engage Nigerians on political issues and his new party?s activities.

El-Rufai in the past few weeks has been vocal on X (formerly Twitter). His screen buzzes with the unrelenting flow of tweets, each competing for attention.

His TikTok page gained significant traction within 24 hours. At the time of this report, he had amassed over 200,000 followers.

For Obi, the 63-year-old stated that he opened the account as part of his commitment to nation-building. As of the time of filing this report, the account had gained over 10k followers. Obi?s announcement video had garnered 30K views, 6K likes, and 2K comments.

There are several TikTok accounts, including parody accounts of President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and other politicians which appears to be personally managed by their comms team or they were created and operated by their loyalists.

The duo ? Obi and El-Rufai, joining TikTok, illustrate how the power of ordinary citizens, armed with smartphones and social media, can drive significant change and hold those in power and their leaders accountable.(The Nation)

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