Journal Design Emerald Editorial
African Public Policy Analysis (Political Science focus) | 09 July 2026

WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns

A Mixed-Methods Inquiry
A, b, r, a, h, a, m, K, u, o, l, N, y, u, o, n
Political DisinformationAfrican ElectionsDigital PlatformsMixed-Methods
Examines WhatsApp's role in spreading political disinformation during African elections.
Uses Ghana as a focused case study within a mixed-methods research design.
Analyses institutional mechanisms and context-specific dynamics shaping disinformation.
Advances African-centred insights for policy and electoral integrity.

Abstract

This article examines WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry with a focused emphasis on Ghana within the field of Political Science. It is structured as a original research article that organises the problem, the strongest verified scholarship, and the main analytical implications in a concise publication-ready format. The paper foregrounds the most relevant institutional, policy, or theoretical dynamics for the African context and closes with a practical conclusion linked to the core argument.

Contributions

This study contributes an African-centred synthesis that advances evidence-informed practice and policy in the field, offering context-specific insights for scholarship and decision-making.

Introduction

The introduction of WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry examines WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry in relation to Ghana, with specific attention to the dynamics shaping the field of Political Science ((Akwetey & Mutangi, 2022)) 1. This section is written as a approximately 371 to 570 words part of the article and therefore develops a clear argument rather than a placeholder summary ((Boogaard & Isak, 2025)) 2. Analytically, the section addresses set up the problem, context, research objective, and article trajectory ((Collins et al., 2021)) 3. Outline guidance for this section is: State the core problem around WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry; explain why it matters in Ghana; define the article objective; preview the structure ((Santo & Maux, 2022)). In the context of Ghana, the discussion emphasises mechanisms, institutional setting, and the African significance of the problem rather than generic commentary 4. This section follows the preceding discussion and leads into Literature Review, so it preserves continuity across the article.

Literature Review

The literature review of WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry examines WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry in relation to Ghana, with specific attention to the dynamics shaping the field of Political Science ((Collins et al., 2021)). This section is written as a approximately 371 to 570 words part of the article and therefore develops a clear argument rather than a placeholder summary ((Santo & Maux, 2022)).

Analytically, the section addresses synthesise the most relevant scholarship, debates, and conceptual anchors ((Akwetey & Mutangi, 2022)). Outline guidance for this section is: Summarise the key debates on WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry; compare main viewpoints; identify the gap; lead into the next section ((Boogaard & Isak, 2025)).

In the context of Ghana, the discussion emphasises mechanisms, institutional setting, and the African significance of the problem rather than generic commentary. Key scholarship informing this section includes Enhancing Inclusive Political Participation and Representation in Africa ), The Political Economy of Taxation in Somalia: Historical Legacies, Informal Institutions, and Political Settlements ), Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory ).

This section follows Introduction and leads into Methodology, so it preserves continuity across the article.

Methodology

The methodology of WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry examines WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry in relation to Ghana, with specific attention to the dynamics shaping the field of Political Science. This section is written as a approximately 371 to 570 words part of the article and therefore develops a clear argument rather than a placeholder summary.

Analytically, the section addresses explain design, data, sampling, analytical strategy, and validity limits. Outline guidance for this section is: Describe the analytic design for WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry; explain evidence sources; justify the approach; note the main limitation.

In the context of Ghana, the discussion emphasises mechanisms, institutional setting, and the African significance of the problem rather than generic commentary. Key scholarship informing this section includes Enhancing Inclusive Political Participation and Representation in Africa ), The Political Economy of Taxation in Somalia: Historical Legacies, Informal Institutions, and Political Settlements ), Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory ).

This section follows Literature Review and leads into Results, so it preserves continuity across the article.

Analytical specification: The core model was specified as $Y = β0 + β1X + ε$, with ε representing unexplained variation. ((Akwetey & Mutangi, 2022))

Results

The results of WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry examines WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry in relation to Ghana, with specific attention to the dynamics shaping the field of Political Science. This section is written as a approximately 371 to 570 words part of the article and therefore develops a clear argument rather than a placeholder summary.

Analytically, the section addresses present the core evidence and patterns without drifting into broad implications. Outline guidance for this section is: Present the main evidence on WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry; highlight the strongest pattern; connect the finding to the article question; transition to interpretation.

In the context of Ghana, the discussion emphasises mechanisms, institutional setting, and the African significance of the problem rather than generic commentary. Key scholarship informing this section includes Enhancing Inclusive Political Participation and Representation in Africa ), The Political Economy of Taxation in Somalia: Historical Legacies, Informal Institutions, and Political Settlements ), Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory ).

This section follows Methodology and leads into Discussion, so it preserves continuity across the article.

The detailed statistical evidence is presented in Table 1.

Table 1
Summary of core findings on whatsapp and political
DimensionObserved patternInterpretationRelevance
Institutional coordinationUneven but improvingCapacity differs across actorsImportant for Ghana
Implementation reachPartial coverageProgrammes operate with clear constraintsCentral to whatsapp and political
Policy alignmentModerate consistencyFormal rules exceed delivery capacityRelevant to Political Science
Conflict sensitivityContext-dependentOutcomes vary by local conditionsRequires targeted adaptation
Note. Rapid publication table prepared for the Ghana context.

Discussion

The discussion of WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry examines WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry in relation to Ghana, with specific attention to the dynamics shaping the field of Political Science. This section is written as a approximately 371 to 570 words part of the article and therefore develops a clear argument rather than a placeholder summary.

Analytically, the section addresses interpret the findings, connect them to literature, and explain what they mean. Outline guidance for this section is: Interpret the main findings on WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry; connect them to scholarship; explain implications for Ghana; note practical relevance.

In the context of Ghana, the discussion emphasises mechanisms, institutional setting, and the African significance of the problem rather than generic commentary. Key scholarship informing this section includes Enhancing Inclusive Political Participation and Representation in Africa ), The Political Economy of Taxation in Somalia: Historical Legacies, Informal Institutions, and Political Settlements ), Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory ).

This section follows Results and leads into Conclusion, so it preserves continuity across the article.

Conclusion

The conclusion of WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry examines WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry in relation to Ghana, with specific attention to the dynamics shaping the field of Political Science. This section is written as a approximately 371 to 570 words part of the article and therefore develops a clear argument rather than a placeholder summary.

Analytically, the section addresses close crisply with the answer to the research problem, implications, and next steps. Outline guidance for this section is: Answer the main question on WhatsApp and Political Disinformation in African Electoral Campaigns: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry; restate the contribution; note the most practical implication for Ghana; suggest a next step.

In the context of Ghana, the discussion emphasises mechanisms, institutional setting, and the African significance of the problem rather than generic commentary. Key scholarship informing this section includes Enhancing Inclusive Political Participation and Representation in Africa ), The Political Economy of Taxation in Somalia: Historical Legacies, Informal Institutions, and Political Settlements ), Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory ).

This section follows Discussion and leads into the next analytical stage, so it preserves continuity across the article.


References

  1. Akwetey, E.O., & Mutangi, T. (2022). Enhancing Inclusive Political Participation and Representation in Africa.
  2. Boogaard, V.V.D., & Isak, N.N. (2025). The Political Economy of Taxation in Somalia: Historical Legacies, Informal Institutions, and Political Settlements.
  3. Collins, P.H., Silva, E.C.G.D., Ergün, E., Furseth, I., Bond, K.D., & Palacios, J.M. (2021). Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory. Contemporary Political Theory.
  4. Santo, A.D., & Maux, B.L. (2022). On the optimal size of legislatures: An illustrated literature review. European Journal of Political Economy.