10 - Interrogating the Cost of Digital Technology and Trust in Elections in Africa: The Nigerian Perspective
Corresponding Author(s) : Felicia Osondu Okwueze
Africa Development,
Vol. 47 No. 2 (2022): Africa Development: Special Issue on Digital Technologies and Election Management in Africa’s Democratisation Process
Abstract
The adoption of technology in electoral democracy in Africa has been on the increase. The introduction of technology has its positive consideration but it also comes with cost and trust implications, which is a paradox. This study is a descriptive work which made use of both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Electionadministrationtheorywasadopted.Toimproveontheuseofdigital technologies, Africans should be mindful of the failure of digital checks and balances that often render an electoral process even more vulnerable to rigging than it was before. In designing new systems for election management, this article argues that Africans should look inward and integrate the new technologies into relevant environmental and cultural settings in order to reduce the cost while improving on the trust of electorates.
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- Abbah, T., Abdulhamid, J., Agbese, A. et al., 2011, ‘Incredible tale of Nigeria’s most expensive Presidential campaigns’, Sunday Trust 20 March.
- Abubakar, A., 2015, ‘History of elections in Nigeria from independence’, People’s Daily, https://peoplesdaily.com.
- Abdallah, N., 2018, ‘Nigeria’s elections among world most expensive’, https://allafrica.com.
- Afolabi, O. S., 2011, ‘Theoretical and practical explorations of the conduct of elections in Nigeria’, Ife Social Sciences Review 24 (1).
- Ake, C., 2000, The Feasibility of Democracy in Africa, Dakar: CODESRIA. Ake, C., 2001, Democracy and Development in Africa, Ibadan: Spectrum Books.
- Akinkuotu, E., and Aluko, O., 2019, ‘Senate passes N189 billion on 2019 election budget’, in INEC: 2019 Election Project Plan, Vol. 2.
- Alvarez, M., and Hall, T., 2006, ‘Controlling democracy: the principal–agent problems in election administration’. Anaro, B., 2011, ‘2011 General Elections cost in Nigeria N470 billion, 1.9% of GDP’, Business Day, 16 June.
- Bratton, M., and Bhoojedhur, S., 2019, ‘PP58: Africans want open elections – especially if they bring change’, https://afrobarometer.org.
- Buchanan, B., and Sulmeyer, M., 2016, Hacking Chads: The Motivations, Threats & Effects of Electoral Insecurity, Harvard Kennedy School for Science and International Affairs, Belfer Center, Boston.
- Clayton, M., 2014, Ukraine Election Narrowly Avoided Wanton Destruction from Hackers, Christian Science Monitor.
- Cheeseman, N., Lynch, G., and Willis, J., 2018, ‘Digital dilemmas: the unintended consequences of election technology’, Democratization 25 (8): 1397–418.
- Daniel, N., Mbaegbu, R. and Lewis, P., 2015, ‘Nigeria heads for closest election on record’. David, N., Manu, Y. and Musa, A., 2015, ‘Elections, electoral reforms and abuse of the Electoral Act in Nigeria: an analysis of the 2015 electoral process’, IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 2 (4): 47–51.
- Domonoske, C., 2016, ‘It is decision time in the UK: voters settle Brexit question’, NPR.
- Dahir, A., 2017, ‘Kenya is set to hold one of the most expensive elections in Africa’, Quartz Africa.
- Fayemi, J. K., Jaye, T. and Yeebo, Z., 2003, ‘Democracy, security and poverty in Ghana: a mid-term review of the Kufuor administration’, Democracy and Development: Journal of West African Affairs 3 (3): 51–84.
- Iyayi, F., 2004, ‘The conduct of elections and electoral practices in Nigeria’, The Constitution 5 (2).
- Krause, G., 2008, ‘Electoral incentives, political business cycle and macroeconomic performance: empirical evidence from post-war US Personnel’.Levi, M., 1998, ‘A State of Trust’, in V. Braithwaite and M. Levi, eds, Trust and Governance, New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation.
- Lopez-Pintor, R. and Fischer, J., 2005, ‘Cost of Registration of Elections (CORE) Project’, https://gsdr.org/document.
- Massicotte, L., Blaise, A. and Yoshinak, A., 2004, ‘Establishing the rules of the game: election laws in democracies’.Moynihan, D. P., 2004, ‘Building secure elections: e-voting, security, and systems theory’, Public Administration Review 64 (5): 515–28.
- Nnoli, O., 2003, Introduction to Politics, 2nd edition, Enugu: PACREP.
- Okonjo, I. M., 1974, British Administration in Nigeria, 1900–1950: A Nigerian View, New York, NY: NOK Publishers.
- Rousseau, D. M., Sim, B., Ronald, S. et al., 1998, ‘Not so different after all: a cross-discipline view of trust’, Academy of Management Review 23 (3): 393–404. Toby, J., 2020, Comparative Electoral Management: Performance, Networks and Instrument, London and New York, NY: Routledge.
- Yan , K., 2005, ‘Public administrator’s trust in citizens: a missing link in citizen involvement efforts’, Public Administration Review 65 (3): 273–85.
References
Abbah, T., Abdulhamid, J., Agbese, A. et al., 2011, ‘Incredible tale of Nigeria’s most expensive Presidential campaigns’, Sunday Trust 20 March.
Abubakar, A., 2015, ‘History of elections in Nigeria from independence’, People’s Daily, https://peoplesdaily.com.
Abdallah, N., 2018, ‘Nigeria’s elections among world most expensive’, https://allafrica.com.
Afolabi, O. S., 2011, ‘Theoretical and practical explorations of the conduct of elections in Nigeria’, Ife Social Sciences Review 24 (1).
Ake, C., 2000, The Feasibility of Democracy in Africa, Dakar: CODESRIA. Ake, C., 2001, Democracy and Development in Africa, Ibadan: Spectrum Books.
Akinkuotu, E., and Aluko, O., 2019, ‘Senate passes N189 billion on 2019 election budget’, in INEC: 2019 Election Project Plan, Vol. 2.
Alvarez, M., and Hall, T., 2006, ‘Controlling democracy: the principal–agent problems in election administration’. Anaro, B., 2011, ‘2011 General Elections cost in Nigeria N470 billion, 1.9% of GDP’, Business Day, 16 June.
Bratton, M., and Bhoojedhur, S., 2019, ‘PP58: Africans want open elections – especially if they bring change’, https://afrobarometer.org.
Buchanan, B., and Sulmeyer, M., 2016, Hacking Chads: The Motivations, Threats & Effects of Electoral Insecurity, Harvard Kennedy School for Science and International Affairs, Belfer Center, Boston.
Clayton, M., 2014, Ukraine Election Narrowly Avoided Wanton Destruction from Hackers, Christian Science Monitor.
Cheeseman, N., Lynch, G., and Willis, J., 2018, ‘Digital dilemmas: the unintended consequences of election technology’, Democratization 25 (8): 1397–418.
Daniel, N., Mbaegbu, R. and Lewis, P., 2015, ‘Nigeria heads for closest election on record’. David, N., Manu, Y. and Musa, A., 2015, ‘Elections, electoral reforms and abuse of the Electoral Act in Nigeria: an analysis of the 2015 electoral process’, IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 2 (4): 47–51.
Domonoske, C., 2016, ‘It is decision time in the UK: voters settle Brexit question’, NPR.
Dahir, A., 2017, ‘Kenya is set to hold one of the most expensive elections in Africa’, Quartz Africa.
Fayemi, J. K., Jaye, T. and Yeebo, Z., 2003, ‘Democracy, security and poverty in Ghana: a mid-term review of the Kufuor administration’, Democracy and Development: Journal of West African Affairs 3 (3): 51–84.
Iyayi, F., 2004, ‘The conduct of elections and electoral practices in Nigeria’, The Constitution 5 (2).
Krause, G., 2008, ‘Electoral incentives, political business cycle and macroeconomic performance: empirical evidence from post-war US Personnel’.Levi, M., 1998, ‘A State of Trust’, in V. Braithwaite and M. Levi, eds, Trust and Governance, New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation.
Lopez-Pintor, R. and Fischer, J., 2005, ‘Cost of Registration of Elections (CORE) Project’, https://gsdr.org/document.
Massicotte, L., Blaise, A. and Yoshinak, A., 2004, ‘Establishing the rules of the game: election laws in democracies’.Moynihan, D. P., 2004, ‘Building secure elections: e-voting, security, and systems theory’, Public Administration Review 64 (5): 515–28.
Nnoli, O., 2003, Introduction to Politics, 2nd edition, Enugu: PACREP.
Okonjo, I. M., 1974, British Administration in Nigeria, 1900–1950: A Nigerian View, New York, NY: NOK Publishers.
Rousseau, D. M., Sim, B., Ronald, S. et al., 1998, ‘Not so different after all: a cross-discipline view of trust’, Academy of Management Review 23 (3): 393–404. Toby, J., 2020, Comparative Electoral Management: Performance, Networks and Instrument, London and New York, NY: Routledge.
Yan , K., 2005, ‘Public administrator’s trust in citizens: a missing link in citizen involvement efforts’, Public Administration Review 65 (3): 273–85.