There has been consistent concern in recent times about the steady rise in the cost of conducting elections in Nigeria, despite the steady decline in voter turnout, even as citizens continue to lose interest in not only the electoral process but in governance. Taxpayers’ funds are used to run elections, but citizens continue to show little or no interest in the process that will produce leaders who will make decisions that will govern them for at least four years.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed N305 billion for the conduct of the 2023 general election in its Election Project Plan (EPP). This represents a 67 per cent increase over the N189 billion spent on the 2019 elections. It is important to note, however, that the 2023 elections are expected to have more registered voters than the 84 million registered voters recorded in 2019, with over 56,000 new polling units. It is also worth noting that the 2019 general elections saw approximately 35 per cent voter turnout, whereas the most recent governorship elections held in Anambra in 2021 saw an all-time low voter turnout of 10 per cent.
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The main reasons for this are a lack of trust in the process and the fact that Nigerians do not always feel the effects of governance. Regardless, elections will continue to be held at a higher cost, with INEC making provisions for all eligible voters, including the more than 60 per cent who may not show up. Political analysts may argue that the cost of conducting elections in Nigeria will continue to rise, but the reality is that voter turnout may continue to fall if practical steps to address voter apathy in Nigeria are not taken.
Beyond the CVR, technological advancements such as the Smart Card Reader, Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and report viewing portal have demonstrated that the electoral process can be made more transparent and credible, thereby encouraging participation. Ordinary citizens can view results from the result viewing portal even before official election results are announced during the 2020 Edo and Ondo Governorship elections. During the Ondo elections in 2022, a leading election observer group reported that more than 90 per cent of election results were available on the portal by 4 p.m.
Thus, not only INEC, but also security agencies, can use technological devices to create early warning systems that will prevent electoral violence from escalating. To ensure transparency, critical election stakeholders are deploying technologies to track the election day process from arrival, set-up, and accreditation to the announcement of results. YvoteNaija, a civic hub for young people, is a good example of people who are leveraging the power of technology to track election results and making it available in real-time. This further encourages citizens to actively engage in the electoral process and also monitor their polling units. With effective deployment of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), ordinary citizens can observe the process and verify the accuracy of official election results.
Olasupo Abideen writes from Kwara State
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