Journals Information
Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 5(10), pp. 799 - 811
DOI: 10.13189/sa.2017.051001
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Technology and Election Conundrum: A Case Study of Nigeria
Lai Olurode *
Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lagos, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
Elections in Nigeria had often filled the air with apprehension and a high sense of trepidation. Stakes in elections are high. Under the zero-sum game which is in operation, winners take all and losers have nothing unlike the situation under proportional representation. In Nigeria, there are limited avenues by which individuals can benefit from states resources. By winning elections and getting recruited into the state sphere, an individual is assured of better life chances, so are close family members and ethno-religious constituencies. Elections are thus a matter of life and death. Electoral mal-practices are common. In 2011 but in the 2015 general elections in particular, there was a marked shift in the electoral process. Those who had been used to thwarting the electoral process were checkmated by the use of election technology, more specifically, the introduction of electronic card readers. The introduction of election technology paved the way for a more credible and competitive elections in Nigeria. All over Africa, election technology has become indispensable to conducting transparent elections that meet the standard of domestic and international observers. As for the method of research, the author relied on his experience as a member of Nigeria's primary electoral bureaucracy as well as his observations of election practices in other countries. Nigeria was used as a case study while references were made to other African countries as they struggle to diminish electoral impunity and frauds. This improvement in Nigeria's electoral process has triggered electoral reforms in other African countries.
KEYWORDS
Election Conundrum, Electoral Mythology, Election Technology, Turn by Turn Nigeria
Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Lai Olurode , "Technology and Election Conundrum: A Case Study of Nigeria," Sociology and Anthropology, Vol. 5, No. 10, pp. 799 - 811, 2017. DOI: 10.13189/sa.2017.051001.
(b). APA Format:
Lai Olurode (2017). Technology and Election Conundrum: A Case Study of Nigeria. Sociology and Anthropology, 5(10), 799 - 811. DOI: 10.13189/sa.2017.051001.