EFFECTS OF E-ELECTIONS ON CREDIBLE AND SAFE ELECTIONS IN POST COVID-19 NIGERIA.

Abstract

was so alarming and in order to reign-in and flatten the curve of the spread, most activities world over,
Nigeria inclusive were shut down. Gradually, the global socio-economic and political activities are
opening up again but a new set of protocol will have to be adhered to in order to reduce the rate of
transmission, especially as a vaccine is yet to be developed against the disease. In Nigeria for example,
two governorship elections and other rerun elections will be taking place this year in order to avoid a
constitutional issuebut to achieve this without endangering the lives of the citizens who may troop out
in their large numbers to fulfill their constitutional duties and rights should be of grave concern to the
government, the electoral body and health authorities. The objective of this paper therefore is to
explore a credible, acceptable and safe way of conducting elections in Nigeria now and in the future.
Content Analysis was adopted as the methodology of this study, it concluded that to lend credibility to
the electoral process and also make it safe, e-election will have to be adopted. Some of the
recommendations include:The President should as a matter of urgency sign the 2018 Electoral Bill which
provided for e-elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission should adopt full electronic
voting in the electoral process from registration to announcement of the election results.