As political campaigns officially begin this August, Nigerians are once again confronted with the defining question that has shaped every election since the return to democratic rule in 1999: will the votes truly count? While political parties mobilise supporters, unveil manifestos and traverse the country in search of votes, millions of Nigerians remain concerned not only about campaign promises but also about whether the electoral process will faithfully reflect the will of the people. It is against this backdrop that the role of technology in Nigeria’s elections deserves renewed examination.
When the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) introduced the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), many Nigerians believed the country had finally found the technological antidote to electoral fraud. After decades of ballot-box snatching, multiple voting, underage voting, result manipulation and outright falsification, BVAS was presented as a game-changer capable of restoring confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Indeed, technology has altered the conduct of elections in Nigeria. Yet, as recent electoral experiences have shown, technology, no matter how sophisticated, cannot by itself produce credible elections. Elections are ultimately administered by human beings, supervised by institutions, interpreted by the courts and accepted or rejected by citizens. Where integrity is absent, technology alone cannot manufacture credibility.
