Just hours into the much-anticipated University of Ghana SRC elections, aspirants are wrapping up campaign activities, with endorsements from various public figures circulating on social media. The major question remains: are students’ voting choices influenced by these endorsements?
A look back at last year’s elections offers some perspective. Guru, a candidate in 2024, received endorsements from several prominent figures in Ghana’s music industry. But was his victory secured by those endorsements? That remains uncertain. Some students believe his running mate, Jaylit, played a crucial role in drawing numbers and winning student support.
This year’s election is no less crucial, as students once again decide who leads the SRC. The key issue is whether they are swayed by endorsements or if they carefully weigh policies before casting their votes.
Social media endorsements are fast becoming a staple in SRC campaigns, with candidates rallying support from influential voices online. But Political Scientist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr. Joshua Zaato, argues that such endorsements are unlikely to significantly sway students’ choices.
In an interview with Univers News, Dr. Zaato explained that most students are more focused on academics than politics.
”The average university student has a lot on his or her plate. I don’t think students are the group of people who pay that much attention to politics and who vote. That is why I think any social media endorsement might not have an oversight impact,” he said.
“Particularly now, most students are in revision week, preparing for examinations. So I don’t see endorsements making much of a difference. But again, there are students who are politically active, and for such people, endorsements from colleagues may sway them one way or the other.”
Despite this, Dr. Zaato acknowledged that endorsements can still carry weight among students who trust the individuals making them.
”Most students spend a lot of their time on social media. That’s a fact. So it’s normal to expect that they consume a lot of information there, and that information might influence their behavior. If you respect or follow someone closely and that person endorses a candidate, it’s possible you’ll be influenced to vote in that direction.”
Some University of Ghana students, however, told Univers News that endorsements from public figures will not affect their vote in the upcoming SRC elections. They argued that many public figures lack firsthand knowledge of the realities students face on campus, and as such, their endorsements hold little weight in deciding who to support.
”I vote for someone who has ambition and wants to serve the interests of students. But it’s very unfortunate that our elections have turned into a contest where you win power based on how popular you are,” one student said.
”I don’t take a person’s public status into consideration at all. What I look at is their capabilities, what they can do and the records they have,” another added.
”A public figure’s endorsement would not influence my choice. For me, leadership should be assessed based on competence, vision or the values a candidate portrays,” a student noted.
”Most public figures don’t even know the realities students face on campus, so their endorsements don’t carry much weight when I’m deciding who to support,” another student explained.
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Story by Michelle Lartey|univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited Kuuku Osei-Baidoo
