EFFECT OF BIOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION OF VOTERS ON ELECTORAL PROCESS A STUDY OF LAGOS HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ELECTION

EFFECT OF BIOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION OF VOTERS ON ELECTORAL PROCESS A STUDY OF LAGOS HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ELECTION

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 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 biometric authenticators. The introduction of election technology paved the way for a more credible and competitive elections in Nigeria.

EFFECT OF BIOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION OF VOTERS ON ELECTORAL PROCESS A STUDY OF LAGOS HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ELECTION=5,000