Page 1 of 16

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at

http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 04 Issue 01

January 2018

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 150

Voting Machine, Electoral Process and

Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria

Inyikalum Daniel B.

Department of Political & Administrative Studies University of Port Harcourt, Port

Harcourt, Nigeria

Email: chibuikedaniel69@yahoo.com

Abstract

In this paper, efforts were geared towards highlighting the significance of the voting machine

i.e., (smart card reader) as a key factor that determined the shift in voting behavior and

political participation in the 2015 elections,vis a vis Nigeria’s quest for sustainable democracy

in the 21stcentury. We established that in Nigeria’s 2015 general elections, the Independent

National Electoral Commission (INEC) made commendable attempts to strengthen Nigeria’s

electoral process but inspite of the employment of the Electronic Machine in the highly

competitive elections of 2015, the elections was still marred by incidents of violence, threats,

killings, and attempts at manipulating the process. This paper argues that the employment of

the voting machine though challenging and complicated at the moment, will indeed

eventually succeed in fostering credible, fair and free elections in Nigeria as obtainable in

advanced democracies of the World. The study therefore recommends that although the

adoption of the voting machine faced a lot of challenges and fundamental shortcomings, it

must not be rejected in subsequent elections as demanded by sections of the Nigerian public

as it is the safest and truest route to Nigeria’s quest of achieving sustainable democracy in the

21st century.

Keywords: Democracy, Voting Machine, Free and Fair Elections, Electoral Process

1.0 Introduction

Elections in Nigeria before and after

independence have faced several challenges

including electoral malpractices through

buying of votes, rigging of elections,

violence, corruption, intimidation and

harassment of voters before and during

Election Day. One major obstacle to

electoral success in Nigeria is the inability

of successive electoral bodies to conduct a

fair and credible election Okhaide,(2012).

Judging from the previous elections

conducted by various electoral bodies in the

past, one may conclude that the June 12,

1993 general election conducted by

Professor Humphrey Nwosu is still regarded

as the freest and fairest election ever

conducted in the history of Nigeria in which

late Chief Moshood Abiola was presumed to

have won the presidential election.

Interestingly, the utilization of

biometrics in African elections is on the

increase. At least 25 sub-Saharan African

countries (including Sierra-Leone,

Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia,

Malawi, Rwanda, Senegal, Somali, Mali,

Togo and Ghana) have already held

elections employing a biometric voter

Page 2 of 16

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at

http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 04 Issue 01

January 2018

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 151

register Piccolino,(2015). In Nigeria, the

automated fingerprint identification system

was utilized in the 2011 general elections to

get rid ofmultiple registrations from the

voter list, but it failed to corroborate the

identity of voters at the polling stations

Piccolino,(2015). In view of this, INEC

adopted the use of the permanent voter card

(PVC) system and introduced smart card

reader technology, a device that verifies the

identity of the voters by scanning their

distinct PVCs. The smart card reader is

amongst the many novelties of the biometric

verification technology and a contentious

but vitalfeature of the 2015 general elections

in Nigeria. Other African countries,

including Ghana, Kenya and Somaliland,

had adopted biometric verification

technology. The technology is mainly used

in situations whereby governments are yet to

come up with an efficient paper-based

identification system for their populaceGelb

& Decker (2012).

2.0 Elections, Electoral System and

Politics in Nigeria

As research would reveal, globally,

political systems are undergoing qualitative

transformation from authoritarian to

participatory regimes. This worldwide trend,

otherwise known as democratization as

emphasized by Elekwa, (2008) has made the

issue of election a critical political imperative

that must be taken seriously. Election as a

democratic practice refers to the system

whereby the citizenry (recognized as

electorates) consciously choose people into

civic roles through a competitive selection

process Raymond, (2000). International

Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences vol.5

defines election “as a procedure of

aggregating preferences of a particular kind”.

Procedure and preferences standout as

attributes of the priori outlined definition.

Procedure as useddepictsan usual way of

getting something done whilst preference

connotes choice between alternatives.

Election can be seen as a process that makes

it possible for members of an organization,

community or a nation to select

representatives who will hold positions of

authority within it. According to Givinn and

Norton, (1992) election is the formal process

that allows for individuals to be selected into

public offices via the instrumentality of

voting. Explaining further, they opined that

election could be seen as an avenue where

society can exploit to organize herself and

take certain official resolutions, adding that

where voting is free, it acts simultaneously as

a system for making certain decisions

regarding the power relations in a society and

as a method for seeking political obedience

with a minimum of sacrifice of the

individual’s freedom.

The core of a democratic election is

the freedom of choice. For the duration of

elections, the electorate is given the

opportunity to choose between alternative

programmes of contestants. Elections also

promote public accountability. The fear of

being defeated at the polls exerts pressure on

those in power to conduct themselves in a

responsible manner and take in consideration

popular interests and yearnings when making

decisions. There is no one accepted

procedure of election. In ancient Greece,

various types of procedures were used. These

include voting by show of hands, written

Page 3 of 16

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at

http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 04 Issue 01

January 2018

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 152

votes and ballots. In the old Roman Republic,

elections of principal officers were by a

plurality of tribes. In the medieval church, the

election of superiors was by a tiny privileged

few consisting of those next in rank Elekwa,

(2008). However, with the arrival of laissez- faire democracy in the seventeenth and

eighteenth century in Western Europe, the

concept of election took new meaning

anchored on the principles of consent,

franchise and representation. In effect,

election not only serves to provide the voter

opportunity to exercise his choices or

preferences on political leadership but also

provides the basis on which elected political

leaders assume legitimacy of their positions

Elekwa, (2008). The place and vitality of

election in democracy cannot be over- emphasized. In this regard therefore:

elections have the

potential to confer

legitimacy, moderate

dissent, engender

compliance and heighten

citizen efficacy,

Elections are especially

crucial for eliciting

consent from those

citizens who would

prefer alternative rules

and policies within the

political process

(Elekwa, 2008:6).

Ideally, election is a means of

determining the will of the people regarding

their choice of political leaders and regime

types. In essence, both the process and the

result of the election should replicate the

consent and aspirations of the people as

organized electorate Olu, (2003). This

implies that apart from being a routine

periodic democratic exercise, election must

be competitive, transparent, free and fair as

well as credible in order to live up to its

democratic essence and merit. In Nigeria, the

issue of election has been a problematic

endeavor over the years. Ironically, election

in Nigeria has been bereft of democratic

ideals, much as it has been characterized by

untoward circumstances. According to

Ibeanu, (2007:3);

The Electoral process as

currently constituted in

Nigeria is

psychologically

alienating for the vast

majority of the people

who are largely outsiders

and are only periodically

inserted in the process

when they cast votes. At

the same time this

alienation is underscored

by the fact that even

when these vote casters

have completed the ritual

of voting, the outcome

bears little semblance to

what they chose in their

ballots. Besides, there

have been problems of

electoral violence and

fraud, bulk of which may

arise from the excesses

of the politicians in their

desperate bid to

consolidate, capture or

control state power. In

the face of this therefore,

electoral experiences in

Nigeria so far have left

much to be considered.