Electronic voting technologies have been introduced in Nigeria to improve electoral effectiveness, mitigate fraud, and improve the trustworthiness of the electoral process. Systems such as biometric voter authentication devices and electronic result transmission platforms represent a significant shift from purely manual processes. However, from a cybersecurity perspective, electronic voting introduces new vulnerabilities that are more difficult, , and potentially more damaging than traditional electoral fraud.
Unlike physical ballot manipulation, cyber threats can occur silently, remotely, and at scale. In Nigeria’s context, where cybersecurity maturity, infrastructure resilience, and institutional safeguards are still developing electronic voting systems create systemic risks that could affect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electoral data.
Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS)
“The system of using the BVAS for the conduct of elections has come to stay. There’s no going back” — Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Former INEC Chairman.
The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is a tool Nigeria uses to check voters with both fingerprints and facial recognition. It makes sure only registered voters can vote, speeds up accreditation at polling units, and helps INEC upload results faster, making elections more transparent and harder to manipulate.
BENEFITS
1. Faster collection of data: In past elections, traditional collation of data took so much time and human efforts, with the introduction of electronic voting technology collation and release of electoral results will be easier and faster.
2. Transparency: There have been many allegations of voting impersonation and result manipulation in past elections. Electronic voting technology ensures that everyone can see and verify the electoral processes.
3. Mitigation of electoral malpractice: electoral malpractice reduces the integrity of election results. Integration of electronic voting technology mitigates the possibilities.
Get Funmitoadesola’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
Enter your email
Subscribe
4. Reduced Impersonation: As stated by the INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) impersonation and identity fraud will be greatly reduced due to the new electronic voting Technology.
5. Improves trust in electoral process: Showing voters electoral processes increases accountability and strengthens trust.
PROBLEMS
1.Insider Threat : Manipulation of devices and non-confidentiality of data by the individuals working with the electoral commission is an issue of the new electoral voting system.
2. Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities: BVAS helps secure Nigeria’s elections by checking voters with fingerprints and facial recognition, but it comes with serious cybersecurity risks. It include stolen biometric data, tampered devices, weak networks, insider threats, and software or server problems. If encryption, access control, and proper audits aren’t tight, the system itself could threaten the credibility of the elections.
3. Human Error and Inadequate Training: unqualified staff can cause some errors and delays to the electoral process.
4. Public Perception: voters are skeptical about the new electoral systems due to the previous failures and down time caused by the electoral process.
5.Dependence on Internet Connectivity:
“A tool like BVAS is only as good as the network it relies on”- Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, INEC Chairman.
since the BVAS system depends solely on the internet, network issues have a significant impact on the use of the system.
END
Be the first to comment