Effect of BVAS and the IReV Portal on the Credibility of Elections in Nigeria (Project Guide)

By EngrHenryTech Publishing · Political Science

EFFECT OF THE BIMODAL VOTER ACCREDITATION SYSTEM (BVAS) AND THE IREV PORTAL ON THE CREDIBILITY OF ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA: A COMPLETE PROJECT GUIDE

Departments: Political Science, Public Administration, Computer Science (Information Systems), Mass Communication, Law (with adaptation), Peace and Conflict Studies

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

This is a detailed research guide and framework, not a finished project for submission. It gives you a ready-to-adapt Chapter One, a map for your literature review, a mixed-methods methodology plan (survey plus interviews and documents) with a worked sample-size calculation, a draft questionnaire and interview guide, empty results tables, and guidance for writing your conclusions. You collect your own data and write Chapters Four and Five from your own findings.

SECTION 1: TOPIC AND ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Main topic:
Effect of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal on the Credibility of the [year] Elections in [State or LGA]

Alternative titles:
1. Electoral Technology and Public Trust in Elections in Nigeria.
2. Voters' Perception of the BVAS and Its Effect on Over-Voting in [State].
3. The IReV Portal and Transparency in Election Results Management in Nigeria.
4. Challenges of Deploying Electoral Technology in Rural Areas: A Study of [LGA].
5. Electoral Technology and Election Petitions: An Analysis of Tribunal Judgments after the 2023 General Elections.
6. Ad hoc Staff Training and the Effective Use of BVAS in [State].

SECTION 2: MODEL CHAPTER ONE

1.1 Background to the Study (model text, rewrite in your own words)

The credibility of elections depends on whether citizens, candidates and observers believe that the results reflect the votes actually cast. In Nigeria, elections have often been affected by problems such as multiple voting, over-voting (more votes recorded than accredited voters), ballot snatching, and alteration of results during collation. To address these problems, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has introduced a series of technologies, including the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) and card reader used from 2015, and more recently the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.

The BVAS is a device used at polling units to verify voters by their fingerprints or by facial recognition, and to capture an image of the polling unit result sheet for upload. The IReV portal is an online platform on which images of polling unit result sheets are published, so that the public can view them. These tools were used in off-cycle elections, such as the 2021 Anambra governorship election, and in the 2023 general elections. The Electoral Act 2022 gave a legal basis for technology in accreditation and the transmission of results (read the Act and cite the relevant sections yourself).

Supporters argue that the BVAS reduces impersonation and over-voting, and that IReV makes results more transparent, allowing anyone to compare polling unit results with collated figures. However, during the 2023 presidential election, delays in uploading results to IReV led to widespread controversy and court challenges. Other problems reported include device failures, poor network coverage, inadequate training of ad hoc staff, and late arrival of materials. Electoral integrity, as Norris (2014) argues, depends not only on technology but also on the management, transparency and impartiality of the whole process. This study therefore examines the effect of the BVAS and IReV on the credibility of elections in [study area].

1.2 Statement of the Problem (model)

Although INEC introduced the BVAS and IReV to improve the credibility of elections, public opinion about their success has been divided, particularly after the [year] elections [support this with observer reports and news reports]. Some voters and stakeholders believe the technologies reduced rigging; others lost confidence when results were not uploaded promptly or when devices failed. It is not clear how voters, election officials and observers in [study area] assess the effect of these technologies on credibility. This study addresses that problem.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective is to examine the effect of the BVAS and IReV on the credibility of elections in [study area]. The specific objectives are to:
1. assess voters' experience of BVAS accreditation;
2. examine the perceived effect of the BVAS on multiple voting and over-voting;
3. examine the perceived effect of the IReV portal on the transparency of results;
4. examine the relationship between voters' experience of electoral technology and their trust in election results;
5. identify the challenges affecting the use of the BVAS and IReV.

WHAT THE FULL GUIDE CONTAINS

The complete guide continues with:
- research questions and null hypotheses matched to each objective;
- significance, scope, limitations and definitions of terms;
- a Chapter Two map: concepts to define, the theoretical framework, how to build the empirical review, and a model statement of the research gap;
- a full Chapter Three plan: design, population, a worked sample-size calculation, sampling technique, validity, reliability and the statistical test for each hypothesis;
- a ready-to-adapt draft questionnaire (or data collection instrument);
- Chapter Four table templates with guidance on interpreting and discussing results;
- a Chapter Five guide to the summary, conclusion and recommendations;
- a list of real starting references, plus a checklist of common supervisor corrections.

Please note: this is a research guide and framework to help you plan and write your own project. It does not contain invented data or results. You collect your own data and write Chapters Four and Five from your own findings.