Impact of Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) on Election Integrity in Nasarawa State

Abstract

The election umpire sought to improve election integrity in Nigeria with the introduction of the bimodal voters' accreditation system replaced the earlier Card Reader, which was only intended to identify and recommend voters on election day. BVAS was designed as a game changer since it could identify, authenticate, and validate prospective voters to ensure free, fair, and credible elections in the country. However, the outcome of elections nationwide and the pending litigations on election fraud and integrity are contemporary discourses among scholars and citizens. Therefore, this study examines the impact of the bimodal voters’ accreditation system on election integrity in Nasarawa State, Nigeria with a specific focus on the 2023 general election. This study adopted a descriptive research design, primary data were collected through a self-structured questionnaire and interview guide to elicit information from the respondents. The study utilised technology theory as the theoretical framework for the study. Multi-stage sampling techniques were used to select a sample size of ninety (90) respondents for questionnaire administration. The findings of the study revealed that the bimodal voters' accreditation system has eradicated overvoting/double voting, increased public participation in the electoral process, enhanced the public level of trust and confidence in the electoral process and improved electoral transparency and integrity in the study area. The study concluded that though the bimodal accreditation system has helped improve the electoral system, however, there is a need to improve its effectiveness to prevent loopholes. The study recommends among others, the need for the autonomy of electoral umpires to prevent political meddling.