ABSTRACT

The study focuses on the analysis of audience perception of media coverage of April 2011 Presidential election using South-East geo-political zone as a case study. However, the research study was restricted to five South-East states of Abia, Imo, Enugu, Anambra, and Ebonyi to collect different perception from the audience about the conduct of April 2011 presidential election. Major findings of this research study reveals that parties and officials were offering bribe to voters to allow them vote for their preferred candidates. More so, many political parties were in the habit of threatening voters to allow them vote during the election. Questionnaires were administered to the relevant population samples. Audience were interviewed and data were collected, analysed and interpreted. The analysis used was based on percentage. Data collected were tabulated. Conclusion and recommendation were based on the data collected. Finally, it was inferred from the analysis that electoral commission should embark on more voters education and to enlighten the populace about the punishment that await election offenders. Again, election officials should encourage its official`ls to remain incorruptible, dutiful and desist from accepting bribe.