Politexting: Using Mobile Technology to Connect the Unconnected

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has changed the face of the world, and its impact is manifest in every facet of our lives. The introduction of ICT into the democratic process, and the use of the new technologies by politicians and public officials is no exception; access to information is crucial to effective citizen participation in the democratic process. The shift in the technological innovations offers the political class, those seeking public office and elected representatives considerable scope to improve their communication strategy, and information management. Furthermore, the potential to improve communication and information flow between public officials and citizens has greatly increased. This study utilizes interpretive approach to examine the communicative experiences of elected representatives in Nigeria. The study revealed that mobile technologies have become ubiquitous and potent political communication tool by elected representatives in Nigeria with focus on the use of text messaging, a phenomenon described in this study as Politexting also known as short messaging system (SMS) - the use of text messaging in political communication.