ELECTION RIGGGING AND VOTE BUYING: A THREAT TO NIGERIAN DEMOCRACY

Abstract

The Nigerian Election Act's shortcomings as well as election manipulation were discussed in the study. In the elections held in 1964, 1965, 1979, 1983, 1999, 2003, and 2007, election manipulation was refined. Any unjustified authority or power that tampers with election results to advance a certain agenda at the expense of the interests of most voters is considered election rigging. Election manipulation can frustrate the interest of the people, leading to the questionable imposition of an unpopular candidate, but when the interests of the people are stated in a free and fair election, the government in power tends to have the sovereign legitimacy of the people. The unfortunate conclusion is that governments lack popular support, which is one of the fundamental tenets of democracy. Elections as a crucial step in the democratic process are still underdeveloped and underdeveloped in the nation with the most difficult voting system. Nonetheless, there is a general lack of research on the issues preventing the adoption of e-voting in developing democracies like Nigeria. Notwithstanding the considerable difficulties, a critical assessment of the difficulties is crucial to the long-term acceptance of electronic voting. Knowing the effects of these variables would empower democratic practitioners and policy makers to successfully commit to a respectable yet trustworthy voting system. This report investigated issues that hinder Nigeria's adoption of electronic voting and made recommendations for the future.