Bi-modal Voters Accreditation System (BIVAS) and Credible Elections in Nigeria: A Critical Analysis of 2023 Elections

Abstract

The conduct of elections in developing countries, especially, in Nigeria are faced with
multilayer challenges ranging from; credibility of the election umpires, undemocratic
emergence of candidates, weak political parties structures, godfatherism, ethnicloyalty,
rigging and intimidation. These myriads of challenges constitute the cog that
continually undermine electoral integrity in Nigeria. It is to address these maladies
card (PVC), card reader machine (CRM) and bi-modal voters accreditation system
(BIVAS). Nonetheless voting by proxy and over voting have continued to
characterized the
election integrity negatively. The study examines bi-modal voter accreditation system
and credible elections in Nigeria. Equally, it examined the history of electronic voting
system, vote pattern and vote buying in Nigeria and tribunal and electoral integrity
were also examined. The paper concludes that to address the myriad of challenges
undermining electoral integrity in Nigeria, different method and approaches have
been adopted such as; perm
and bi-modal voters accreditation system (BIVAS). Nonetheless, rigging, vote by
proxy, and over-voting have continued to characterized the electoral process, and
hereby impacting election credibility
negatively. Also, electoral victories in most cases anchored on court pronouncement
are pyrrhic and tantamount to disaffection and usurpation of electoral body power to
conduct and declare winners in elections.