Politexting: A phenomenological examination of the information and communication technology employed by Nigerian legislators in communicating with their constituents

The purpose of this study is to create and develop a set of communication strategies that will assist elected representatives in Nigeria in communicating effectively with their constituents. 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 legislators and legislative institutions is no exception; access to information is crucial to effective citizen participation in the democratic process. The shift in the technological innovations offers elected representatives considerable scope to improve legislative business, especially the potential to improve communication and information flow between representatives and their constituents.;I chose interpretive approach to examine the communicative experiences of legislators in Nigeria, and I employed two methods of in-depth interviews and direct observations to investigate the phenomenon. 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 which I described as Politexting (SMS)---the use of text messaging in political communication. Analysis of the study leads to the development of a new communication model called: Politexting communication model for representative-constituent relations. The study found that three characteristics are critical in the Politexting theoretical model; these are convenience, effectiveness, and affordability.