The Role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the 2015 Presidential Election of Nigeria

Abstract

The use of ICT in elections has been attracting a lot of interests in the country and has been a subject for discussion in various media during the past years after elections. The paper based method of voting during elections in Nigeria comes with a lot of problems such as delay in voting, multiple voting, result manipulations, invalid votes and delay in declaring results. This paper investigated the feasibility of ICT implementation in Nigeria by assessing the role played by ICT in the 2015 elections. It relied on documentary method for the generation of data. Using the diffusion of innovation theory, the research concluded that ICT has reinforced the legitimacy of Nigerians in the democratic process as majority after the elections believed that their votes counted  and as such  their  will could be respected in future elections. Thus, it is recommended that the innovation of ICT shouldn’t only be welcomed but also incorporated into the Nigeria’s electoral system as a lasting solution to electoral fraud. The Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) should be amended to include the use of the card reader for biometric verification of voters for the purpose of accreditation in future elections.

Keywords: E-participation, ICT, Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT), Nigeria, 2015 Presidential elections.