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On September 15, Nigerian incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan made his long-awaited announcement to run for the presidency in 2011--on Facebook.
Jonathan's decision to shun traditional press in favor of the social networking site to reach a younger generation represents a new phase in Nigeria's online evolution. Unlike the 2007 elections, politicians and civil society groups have a range of new tools to mobilize supporters. But these are accompanied by various challenges: Mobile phones and social media may be potent forces for getting out the vote, but they can also exacerbate tensions between the north and south, the rural and the urban, those with internet access and those without it, Muslims and Christians, and the over 250 different ethnic groups that make up the Nigerian population. How can civil society campaigns in Nigeria harness new tools for voter mobilization while also promoting peaceful elections?
