Technology and Election Administration in Nigeria: An Assessment of the 2023 Presidential Election
摘要
This study will examine the impact of technology on the conduct of the 2023 Presidential election in Nigeria. This is to ascertain the technological quality control introduced into the administration of Nigeria’s election and to match it with the 2019 presidential election in Nigeria, bearing in mind the possibilities of a new Nigeria capable of having an advanced electronically conducted free, fair and credible elections across all levels. The study will utilise secondary sources of data collection, such as the Electoral Act of 2022, official government documents, newspaper publications and peer-reviewed journals, among others. The technological instrumentalism theory will be adopted as the study’s framework of analysis. The study will be saddled with the task of determining the challenges of the use of technology in the 2023 general elections from the standpoint of the Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman’s (Prof Mahmoud Yakubu) remark who has in several fora confirmed the readiness of the electoral management body of Nigeria to make use of technology in the 2023 general elections for the singular purpose of transparency, credibility and accountability. The study will also examine the role of the Federal Government of Nigeria in protecting the nation’s cyberspace during the 2023 election period. The study will conclude with recommendations for Nigeria’s future use of technology in election administration based on its findings.