NEW TECHNOLOGY, ELECTORAL PROCESS AND ELECTIONS CREDIBILITY IN AFRICA: INSIGHTS FROM
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Date
2020-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Socisl Sciences, Federal University Oye Ekiti
Abstract
The conduct of credible elections in Nigeria over the years has been a major challenge. Elections held in the Fourth Republic have attracted criticisms and have precipitated violence due to perceived non-credible electoral processes. This paper examines the effects of new technology on the electoral processes and credibility of elections in Africa's democracies with particular reference to the 2015 general elections in Nigeria. To this end, the paper examines the impact of the adoption of technological innovations on the conduct of elections, the credibility of election outcome and regime legitimacy in Nigeria drawing insights from the 2015 general elections. Through an examination of data derived largely from secondary sources which includes journal articles, textbooks, reports of Independent National Electoral Commission's on elections as well as reports of national and International Election Observer Missions, Nigerian newspapers and news magazines and using the content analysis for analysing same, this paper found out that the adoption and application of technological innovations particularly the Electronic Card Reader Machine (ECRM) and Permanent Voters' Card(PVC) aided the transparency of the 2015 general elections in Nigeria and boosted the legitimacy of the government formed in its aftermath.
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Keywords
Election Credibility, Electoral Process, Electronic Card Reader Machine
Citation
7. Saka, L. & Adebiyi, O.M. (2020). New technology, electoral process and regime legitimacy in Africa. Studies in the Social Sciences, 1(1):13-34. Published by the Faculty of Social Sciences, Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.