ABSTRACT

I am a student of the above institution in mass communication department who currently seek to carry out a research work on the effect of card readers on election credibility in Nigeria, I took this research upon me after my research survey and finding from the last election held and ran by the INEC.

A descriptive survey design will be adopted for this study and this research work will be carried out using the 80 respondent and questionnaire will be administered to them, the ChiSquare x2, simple percentage and ttest will be used to analyze the questionnaire. Analysis of the research test hypothesis and question will be discussed followed by conclusion and a summary of the study.

INTRODUCTION

During the last few years, the application of ICT has been deployed in most activities of life and has form some integral part of us. The last election which is the 2015 election was done using the aid of ICT equipments. The use of card readers at the 2015 general election in Nigeria has infused some level of transparency and credibility into Nigerias electoral process Okonji, 2015. It was observed that when the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC first announced its plan to introduce card reader machine for the March 28 and April 11 2015 general elections, many Nigerians, especially politicians, vehemently opposed to it. They felt the country has not developed to a level where such technology can be employed for elections. Besides, they felt the uses of card reader would disrupt the entire electoral processes.

The public outcry that greeted the planned introduction of card reader machines was enough to discourage INEC from introducing it. However, because of INEC confidence in the efficacy of modern technologies in achieving quick results, coupled with its vision to transform the countrys electoral process from its old norms that was characterized by ballot box snatching and multiplicity of ballot tombprinting, INEC went ahead and introduced the technology against all odds Vanguard, 2015. However, many technology experts in Nigeria and outside, who monitored the elections are full of praises for INEC for insisting on the use of card reader machines, saying it is the best thing that has ever happened to the Nigerian electoral process in the area of election transparency. They have called on the electoral umpire to introduce card reader machines in subsequent elections, believing it is a sure way to achieve transparency and credibility in every election.

Prior to the 2015 general elections, a number of technologically based reforms e.g. biometric Register of Voters, Advanced Fingerprints Identification System were embarked upon by the new leadership headed by Prof Attairu Jega of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, the election management body empowered by the 1999 Constitution as amended of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to organize, undertake and supervise all elections in Nigeria.

However, despite the confidence of INEC in the use of card reader in the 2015 general elections, the machines came with some challenges, even though the elections have been widely adjudged as being successful. For instance, during the March 28 Presidential and National Assembly elections across the country, the card readers malfunctioned in several polling units, a situation that caused undue delay in the accreditation process. It, however, worked perfectly in other polling units. The challenges ranged from rejection of permanent voters card PVC by the card readers, inability to capture the biometrics from finger tips, to irregular capturing and fast battery drainage. INEC officials have to abandon their polling units and took the card readers back to their office for proper configuration. In order to salvage the situation, which was almost becoming frustrating, INEC ordered the use of manual process for accreditation, But before the order could go round the states and local government areas, it was already late to conduct accreditation and actual voting in some areas, a situation that forced INEC to extend the exercise to the next day in all affected areas.

STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

Concerned about the massive electoral fraud witnessed in the past general elections in Nigeria, INEC deployment of the card reader in 2015 general elections was to ensure a credible, transparent, free and fair election in order to deepen Nigerias electoral democracy. However, the used of the electronic device in the 2015 general elections generated debate among election stakeholders before, during and after the elections. The election is the most politically engaged in the history of electoral democracy in Nigeria. Huge resources were used for the elections including 120 billion naira expended by INEC, 750,000 adhoc election staff with over 360,000 security personnel including the use of card readers to ensure credibility and transparency. The presidential election was contested by fourteen candidates from different political parties. Corruption in election has been an issue in the country for the past years and the deployment of card reader and other IT tools for the last election was to bring free and fair election, but how did the end go The researcher seeks to find out this issue.

OBJECTIVE OF MY STUDY

The primary aim of my research work is to evaluate and analyse the effect of card reader on the credibility of Nigerian election 2015, which is the centre of the whole research work.

Some other objectives which I will be covering in this research work are as follows:

1.To discover if the election was actually free and fair as expected or still manipulated as always.

2.To analyse and evaluate the effect of card readers on the election credibility and significance compared with its running cost.

3.To examine the reliability of the card reader during the electoral process.

4.To identify the limitations in the use of the card reader for elections in Nigeria.

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROPOSED SYSTEM

People have doubt, concerning the last election by the electron body which was conducted and anchored by Pro. Attairu Jega of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC as the leader, on its credibility and reliance. Therefore, the outcome of this study will educate the general public on the benefits of the use of card reader for elections, how credible it was, if it was free and fair, and if it could be relied upon.

This research will also serve as a resource base to other scholars and researchers interested in carrying out further research in this field subsequently, if applied will go to an extent to provide new explanation to the topic.