The Effect of ICT on the 2015 and 2019 Presidential Elections in the FCT: Case of Bwari Area Council
Thesis
In Nigeria’s current electioneering process, Information Communication Technology (ICT) has taken the centre stage in the conducts of elections. Hence, this study examined the effects of ICT on the 2015 and 2019 Presidential elections in Bwari Area Council, with special reference to the use of Biometric Card Reader. Contextualist Theory was adopted as the theoretical framework for the study. The research design adopted a mixed of quantitative and qualitative methods, using key informant interviews and questionnaire administration. Primary data was sourced through the administration of closed-ended questionnaire and structured interview from the target respondents in Bwari Area Council. A total of 399 respondents were sampled out of which 315 useable data was generated. SPSS version of Statistics was used to analyse the data. Overall, findings from the study indicated that the introduction of technological innovation through the use of a biometric card readers in the 2015 and 2019 elections in Bwari Area Council has minimized electoral fraud and manipulation which has been a constant challenge to previous elections; implying that there was a significant positive effect of ICT on the outcome of the General elections in 2015 and 2019. However, despite the successes recorded with the application of ICT, there were observed flaws that bedeviled the election, as the findings further revealed, in some cases, the biometric card readers failed to read and authenticate the finger print of some eligible voters and therefore disenfranchising some eligible voters in Bwari Area Council. Hence there is need for INEC to braze up to its responsibility by perfecting the operations of the Biometric Card Readers and other ICT gadgets in subsequent elections. INEC should also develop its staff on the efficient use of ICTduring elections in order to enhance free, fair and credible elections in the future.