UNDERSTANDING OF BIOMETRIC TECHNOLOGIES AMONG KEY ELECTORAL STAKEHOLDERS IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Over the last quarter century, many developing countries have turned towards electoral politics. Democracy indicators for Sub-Saharan Africa made substantial gains after 1990 at the end of the Cold War. At the same time, political rights and civil liberties have mostly remained stuck around the middle of the scale. Even if they have implemented multi-party elections, many countries have not transitioned fully towards liberal democracies. Elections have often been far from free and fair and their results have frequently been disputed, sometimes violently and at heavy cost to lives and the economy.  Nigeria is not far fetch, in the Nigerian case, the truth remains that the electoral process is hugely characterized by a culture of electoral malpractices like rigging, ballot box snatching, vote buying by politicians etc. this study looked at the biometric authentication of voters and the voting process and how it affects the 2019 senatorial elections in Nigeria.

The elections were adjudged as one the best due to the deployment of the biometric authentication in the general elections. We found out that this increased voter confidence in the voting process which led to the reduction in the eruption of violence.