The 2023 Presidential General Election in Nigeria: The Ripples and the Effects on Nigeria Democratic Governance

Abstract

The Nigerian 2023 general election came as scheduled on 25th February, unlike the previous general elections, which shifted toward the election day. This election differed from other elections because of the introduction of a technological device, namely the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) and independent result viewing (IReV) portal. This changed a lot of things in the electoral process and restored confidence in Nigerians. Hence there was a lot of enthusiasm by the citizens especially the youth to take back the country for their own advantage. But something went wrong during the election process. In this write-up, the research traced the problems encountered during the elections and how they affected the feelings of the people. To find out also to what extent the newly introduced technology in the electoral system helped in furthering and strengthening the existence of democracy in Nigeria. The research used a thematic approach in unravelling the ripples of the 2023 presidential general elections. It was found out that Independent National Electoral Commission was being accused of manipulating the presidential elections which gave rise to some problems than happiness.