AN ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC AWARENESS AND PERCEPTION ON THE USE OF iREV IN PROMOTING ELECTORAL INTEGRITY IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

It takes competent election management by an impartial electoral management authority with the ability to conduct free and fair elections to ensure electoral integrity and to sustain it. According to Ugoh (2022), in well-developed democracies, the entities in charge of elections are often taken for granted because of their extensive track records of conducting free and free and fair elections. As a result, election administration authorities in developing democracies like Nigeria are subject to a great deal of mistrust, derision, and scrutiny. It's noteworthy that Nigeria has held nine separate presidential or general elections since independence (excluding the general election in 2023).

However, elections have been stable and organized since 1999, when they first began. Voters, political figures, and international observers are concerned about the validity, integrity, or standard of these elections. Political contenders, voters, and observers have all expressed discontent with general elections since 2003. Elections were described by all sorts of electoral malpractices such as ballot box snatching, vote buying, secret voting, use of violence, false results, electoral violence to mention but few. These were reflected in the series of litigations that trailed the announcement of results and declaration of winners, nullification of results, and ultimately election-related violence which occurred at all the stages of the electoral process (Amao and Ambali, 2022).

Beyond that, inasmuch as it is recommended to use iREV and other new electoral innovations and technology to improve election integrity and inspire public confidence in the process, INEC should be reminded that, like every technology, iREV and other electoral technologies are not infallible. Certainly, the deployment of iREV could forestall election rigging as well as improve public confidence in electoral outcomes but some failures have been recorded in the use of iREV. Consequently, several scholars have expounded on the need for Electoral Act reform by the assessment of the correlation between Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as an electoral umpire and the credibility of the Nigeria’s electoral process (Abe 2008; Enyenihi 2012; Odusote 2014; Aderemi 2015; Abdullahi and Sani 2016; Ademowo 2016). Their key point of convergence is on the pivotal and sensitive role that INEC plays in consolidating a fledgling democracy. The action and inaction of INEC affects the outcome of an election (Moses, 2022). As a result of numerous calls for electoral act reform, on Friday 25th February 2022 former President Muhammadu Buhari assented to the Electoral Bill 2022; repealing the 2010 Act and enacting a new Electoral Act. The new Act provides a legal framework that empowers the INEC to determine the mode of voting and transmission of results as well as to review declaration of election results made under duress (PLAC, 2022).

Furthermore, the new Act legalized the use of technology in elections; redefines over-voting and mandates INEC to take “reasonable steps” to provide support to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) during voting. The new Act also alters the timelines for the conduct of elections and creates new time frames for political parties to fulfil various requirements and activities concerning nomination of candidates for elections. However, it is anticipated that the new Act will boost voter participation in the election process.

Additionally, following the new Electoral Act, the reliability and integrity of the adoption of BVAS (i.e. use for the identification and accreditation voters’ fingerprints and facial recognition before voting), and the INEC Election Result Viewing Portal (iREV) (i.e. for an online portal where polling unit level results are uploaded directly from the polling unit, transmitted and published for the public) are being major sources of concerns. Similarly, according to The Guardian Newspaper (November, 2020), asserts that INEC strives to keep the twin technology as a defense against the 10 most pervasive flaws in Nigeria's election result management process, including falsifying votes at polling units, falsifying the number of accredited voters, collating false results, mutilating results and computational errors, swapping results sheets, forging results sheets, snatching and destroying results sheets, and obtaining declaration. Therefore, a survey will be conducted in order to  assess public awareness and perception on the use of iREV in promoting electoral integrity in Nigerian.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Elections in Nigeria were marred by widespread allegations of corruption, including voter suppression, vote buying, manipulation of electoral rolls, compromised officials, and the lack of accountability. Abu-Shanab, Knight and Refai (2018) conformed that using e-voting improve the convenience, efficiency and effectiveness of the election process; reduces cost of organizing election, increased participation and provide alternative option as it improve integrity of election process in general. According to Punch newspaper, the problem of iREV is totally due to technical hitches related to scaling up the iREV from a platform for managing off-season, State elections, to one for managing nationwide general elections. It is indeed not unusual for glitches to occur and be corrected in such situations. It is in the light of these that the study seeks to assess public awareness and perception on the use of iREV in promoting electoral integrity in Nigerian.

1.3  Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to assess public awareness and perception on the use of iREV in promoting electoral integrity in Nigerian. Specifically, the study will;

 1. Assess the level of public awareness of the use  iREV during the 2023 electoral process in Nigeria.

2.Assess public perception on the use of iREV for promoting electoral integrity during the 2023 general election in Nigeria.

3. Assess public perception on the factors which affected the use of iREV during the 2023 general election in Nigeria.

1.4 Research Questions

 1. What is the level of public awareness of the use  iREV during the 2023 electoral process in Nigeria?

2.What is the perception of the public on the use of iREV for promoting electoral integrity during the 2023 general election in Nigeria?

3. What is the perception of the public on the factors which affected the use of iREV during the 2023 general election in Nigeria?

1.6  Significant of the Study

An assessment  of public awareness and perception on the use of iREV in promoting electoral integrity in Nigerian.will be revealed to to the government at various level, politicians, electoral bodies and media houses. Also, the findings will enlighten Nigerian populace on the effectiveness of the voting machines and how to use it. Furthermore, this research will be useful to media house to disseminate information to  a large population regarding the benefits and risks of using the EVM.

Additionally, subsequent researchers will use it as a literature review. This means that other students who may decide to conduct studies in this area will have the opportunity to use this study as available literature that can be subjected to critical review. Invariably, the result of the study contributes immensely to the body of academic knowledge with regards to a an assessment  of public awareness and perception on the use of iREV in promoting electoral integrity in Nigerian.

1.7 Scope of the study

The scope of this study is boarded on a critical investigation on the impact of electronic voting machines on electoral fraud during the 2023 general election. Theoretically, this study will assess the level of public awareness of the use  iREV during the 2023 electoral process in Nigeria, assess public perception on the use of iREV for promoting electoral integrity during the 2023 general election in Nigeria and  public perception on the factors which affected the use of iREV during the 2023 general election in Nigeria.

Geographically, the study will be delimited to resident in Birnin Gwari local government, Kaduna state, Nigeria.

1.8 Limitation of the study

In the course of carrying out this study, the researcher experienced some constraints, which included time constraints, financial constraints, language barriers, and the attitude of the respondents.

In addition, there was the element of researcher bias. Here, the researcher possessed some biases that may have been reflected in the way the data was collected, the type of people interviewed or sampled, and how the data gathered was interpreted thereafter. The potential for all this to influence the findings and conclusions could not be downplayed.

More so, the findings of this study are limited to the sample population in the study area, hence they may not be suitable for use in comparison to other schools, local governments, states, and other countries in the world.

1.9 Definition of Terms

Awareness: a state of being aware that something exist.

Integrity:the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.

Electoral: relating to elections.

Perception:  a belief or opinion, often held by many people and based on how things seem or an observation