It is impossible to deny that if blockchain technology had been used to conduct the general elections in Nigeria, things would have gone much more smoothly. We have completed the voting process for the president, the senate, and the House of Representatives seats, and we are now beginning the collation process, which is anticipated to run until midweek. Due to the historical significance of this specific poll, all residents of one of Africa's giants are hooked to their electronic devices, radios, and television sets as the results are announced state-by-state.
The use of technology solutions to organize free, fair, and credible elections is a subject that frequently comes up in conversations among election observers. Despite tremendous government advancement toward electronic voting, there will always be loopholes that allow for rigging. One of these advancements is the new bimodal voter accreditation system, which verifiably accredits every voter intending to cast their ballot at a polling unit. The vices that have consistently plagued Nigerian elections—thugs, ballot box snatching, and general electoral violence—have hampered its progress. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman Mahmood Yakubu recently revealed that thugs raided two distinct polling units in two states in Nigeria, stealing at least eight BVAS machines, according to the Premium Times. It is now clear that INEC must use technology to develop a fully electronic voting system if we are to have free, fair, and credible elections. Blockchain technology is one of these remedies.
A blockchain is a network of blocks used to record data in a digital ledger. It is difficult to tamper with any of the information in the blocks because they are connected by unique keys. The information in the block cannot be changed without great difficulty. All users who are accessible to the network are able to use it. Although blockchain technology is already used to exchange digital currency, it has also been used in elections before. Prior to its state primary elections in March 2018, West Virginia, a state of the United States of America, used blockchain technology successfully. After being confirmed using biometric methods, voters could cast their ballots using secure tokens on a mobile device using the Voatz app.
It is true that implementing this technology in the Nigerian elections will increase transparency, voter turnout, and entirely decentralize the voting process, but it also remains true that "where there is a will, there's a way." The same people who planned the theft of BVAS and ballot boxes will attempt to rig the election by exploiting vulnerabilities in blockchain technology. It goes without saying that the industry has had some of the worst cyberattacks in recent memory. Blockchain, according to Epiq Angle, has three significant security flaws that can be exploited: 51 percent attacks, creation errors, and inadequate security. 51 percent attacks refer to an event where one or more hackers gain control over half of the mining process by taking part in the verification process, where miners review transactions for credibility. When this happens, the hackers can create a second version of the blockchain where certain transactions are omitted.
Despite widespread hoopla around cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, the inclusion of these technologies in the Nigerian elections would result in fewer problems than they pose. First of all, unlike a traditional ballot box, the technology cannot be snatched. In addition, voters can monitor the process from the convenience of their homes. Finally, since voters wouldn't need to show up to cast their votes; the problem of electoral violence would be resolved. It's possible that a new set of vices may emerge, such as the manipulation of the mobile data network by dishonest internet service provider staff and the facilitation of vote buying for avaricious candidates. Nonetheless, blockchain technology has shown to be largely resilient against hackers in the area of being compromised.
Despite this, it might be argued that it is unwise to entrust a crucial process to a technology that is still in its growing stage unless sufficient precautions are put in place to combat cybercrime. It can be speculated that Nigeria has one of the highest concentrations of cybercriminals in the world, hacking of the blockchain technology used during elections appears likely. However, would it support INEC's efforts to hold credible, free, and open elections?
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