Following the high projected turnout of voters for the unprecedented and long-awaited presidential elections, characterized by most as a make-or-break moment for one of Africa’s largest democracies, Nigerians went to the polls on February 25, 2023 to elect a new president, which saw Bola Ahmed Tinubu- Former Governor of Lagos State and flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) announced four days after as winner and President-Elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on March 1, 2023.
Under the current leadership of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC proposed the sum of N304.54 billion for the conduct of the 2023 general elections, representing a 61.37% increase from 2019 conducted general elections. He also oversaw the signing of the 2022 Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on February 25, 2022, exactly 1 year to the presidential elections. This new Act was a laudable effort to keep the Nigerian electoral process up to par with other advanced democracies worldwide and intended to bring digital transformation and innovation to the conduct and regulation of credible, free and fair elections in Nigeria.
Digital transformation is revolutionizing the way elections are conducted around the world and plays a crucial role in improving overall electoral processes. Governments, election management bodies, and international organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of digital transformation for credible elections conducted in an efficient and cost-effective manner. For example, digital voting systems are being used to facilitate the casting and counting of electronic votes. These systems use advanced technologies such as blockchain and distributed ledgers to ensure that votes are securely and accurately stored and counted, making it easier to quickly and accurately tabulate votes, reducing the need for manual counting.
In Nigeria, several digital initiatives such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal were adopted to ensure the transparency, accuracy, and credibility of elections. The BVAS allows for more accurate voter registration and verification, as well as the prevention of voter impersonation. The IREV portal for real-time monitoring of the electoral process allows for the quick identification of any irregularities or suspicious activity, and is meant to help ensure that the election results are fair and accurate.
These technologies allowed for the introduction and massive adoption of Permanent Voter Cards (PVC), which can be used to track each voter’s identity and to ensure that only those who are eligible to vote are allowed to cast their ballots, thus reducing instances of voter fraud and manipulation by making it easier to detect and prevent these activities. Armed with this confidence, Nigerians marched to the polls, hoping to elect a new president that is reflective of the mood and will of the people.
However, the 2023 presidential elections appeared to be a return to the status quo, marred by widespread reports of insecurity, voter intimidation, voter suppression, vote buying, violent attacks on voting citizens at several polling units, unpunctual INEC electoral officials, faulty machines, ballot paper irregularities, coupled with outright fraud accusations from INEC’s failure to abide by the provisions of Electoral Act 2022 (Sections 47 and 50-2) for electronic voting and timely transmission of results.
These irregularities have further diminished the integrity of the INEC charged with delivering free and fair elections with transparency, as noted by statements from international observers of the European Union, former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s press release and other civil society groups, culminating in strong campaigns by the opposition- led by the youth-favored Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), to stop the manual vote collation, resignation of the INEC chairman and outright rejection of the election results.
According to Innopharma Education’s Digital Transformation Industry Guide, people and culture are at the heart of digital transformation. An organizational change capability is one of four interrelated domains of digital transformation. Other pillars include Technology, Data/Analytics and Process. Unfortunately, the political will and readiness of the current aging government to fully implement its commitment to digital transformation and leverage its benefits is glaringly yet unsurprisingly absent. However, in recent years, Nigeria has seen a significant paradigm shift in its political landscape, galvanized by the massive EndSars protests in October 2020, with its youth rising to occasion and demanding better governance.
While breaking down the 93.4 million registered Nigerian voters into age groups, the INEC stated the youth population (aged 18 – 34) tops the age distribution chart at 39.65% and students make up the largest category in terms of occupational distribution of registered voters at 27.8%. The obvious implication being that youths and students constitute the group with the highest electoral power and can effectively determine the next Nigerian President. The culture of innovation and rate of technological adoption among Nigeria’s youthful populace, aligned with the pursuit and development of soft skills associated with digital transformation presents the country with a glimmer of hope for the future.
Building critical thinking skills, complex communication, creativity, collaboration, productivity, accountability, emotional intelligence, flexibility and adaptability through relevant education and training is critical to the development of a national digital transformation model that not only positively impacts Nigeria’s present political scene but transcends to other economic and industrial sectors of national development including its emerging life science sectors.