Algorithms at the Ballot: Nigeria’s Electoral Technology and the Crisis of Trust

For decades, Nigeria’s elections have been marked by logistical failures, ballot snatching and prolonged disputes at collation centres. Ahead of the 2023 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) sought to rewrite that narrative through technology, introducing the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) as safeguards against manipulation.
The innovations were widely promoted as a turning point. Voter accreditation was to be biometric, while results would be uploaded directly from polling units in real time, a process INEC said would drastically reduce fraud. The assurances generated optimism, with many Nigerians turning out in large numbers, confident that technology would finally protect their votes.
On election day, voting and counting proceeded smoothly in many polling units. BVAS functioned effectively, and results were openly recorded at the unit level. However, problems soon emerged at the digital transmission stage of the presidential election. In several states, polling-unit results failed to appear on the IReV portal hours, and in some cases days, after voting ended.
Discrepancies between physical result sheets and figures displayed online triggered confusion and suspicion. As collation progressed, results announced at higher levels often appeared inconsistent with polling-unit records. Civil society groups and opposition parties raised concerns over compliance with electoral guidelines, while citizens turned to social media to share screenshots and independently track results.
INEC attributed the delays to technical glitches and transmission challenges, but the explanations failed to reassure many voters. The transparent result transmission that had inspired confidence became the weakest link in the process.
Despite the unresolved concerns, INEC declared Bola Ahmed Tinubu winner of the presidential election. For many Nigerians, the announcement deepened doubts about the reliability of electoral technology. What was marketed as a transparent, technology-driven process increasingly came to be viewed as opaque.
The fallout extended beyond the 2023 polls. While there was no mass rejection of voting, public confidence in election systems eroded significantly. In subsequent by-elections and off-cycle polls, observer reports recorded sharply reduced turnout, with some polling units attracting only a handful of voters. Analysts linked the apathy to lingering doubts over the credibility of results and unanswered questions from the general election.
INEC has acknowledged the challenge. Speaking in Abuja, INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said technology alone cannot address voter apathy, noting that trust, infrastructure and civic confidence remain critical. He warned that even advanced systems risk losing legitimacy if citizens doubt the integrity of outcomes.
Attention is now shifting to the February 2026 Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory, covering Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali. The polls are expected to test whether confidence in electoral technology can be rebuilt and whether lessons from 2023 have been addressed.
Ultimately, Nigeria’s electoral challenge goes beyond devices and digital platforms. It is a crisis of trust—how it is earned, lost and restored. As technology remains central to future elections, the question is whether it will once again inspire confidence or continue to fuel skepticism and disengagement in Nigeria’s democracy.