“Television is not a gimmick and nobody will ever be selected to a major office without presenting themselves well on it”___ Roger Ailes.
Human development is judge by the distinct progress made in his immediate environment. over time, diverse innovations have urshered societies into new phase which has directly and indirectly influence the psyche as well as people standards of living. Technology has become the most impactful advancements in human lives and endeavour.
Technology is a term that refers to the use of tools, machinery, or knowledge to accomplish a specific goal. Technology can be used to describe a wide range of things, from simple tools like hammers and saws, to complex machines like computers and robots, to information systems and software. Some examples of specific technologies include the internet, smart phones, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy.
Technology has cut through the reasonable sphere of human existence, owing to the fact that society is interdependent in nature and political institution are segment that makes up the society, technology have played a crucial role in the political sector. Right from the onset politics and media technology are inseparable. Radio and television are over the years used for political propaganda. In fact radio was brought to Nigeria as a result of British political propaganda.
Over the years, politics in Nigeria is identify with the nomenclature of cruel election rigging, “a culture” that has created the mentality of “your vote does not count” and has ultimately metamorphosed many Nigerian citizens to become apathetic toward the political activities of their country. To enhance public participation in politics, the Nigeria government came with idea of (BVAS) system, often tagged as one of the technological breakthrough in Nigerian politics.
Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is digital a technological device introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2021, an innovation made to promote credible elections and prevent rigging. The BVAS is a multifunctional device that performs diverse functions, including voter enrolment or registration, facial and fingerprint verification at the polling units, and allowing election result sheets to be uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IRVP). It has also modernize the voting system that the Independent National Electoral Commission.(INEC) has announced its intention to pilot the use of electronic voting machine at the earliest possible time that ballot-stuffing could also become a thing of the past under a truly transparent system where everybody can be electronically accounted for.
The import of this is that Nigeria government have use technological innovations to motivate people to participate in the electoral activities, and other political activities of the country.
Nigeria during the COVID-19 lockdown, technology facilitated smooth communication between the government and the people resulting in “death of distance”, technology has provided an interactive platforms for government to pass meaning information to its citizens
With the help of technology, millions of citizens can learn about politician policies, statements, interact with political leaders through the new media as well as organize and voice their own opinion on political matters.
Technology in politics today, is used to shape the perception of the citizens on political parties and influence voting decision in elections, political parties are also using social media (Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter) to reach voters using political advertising all thanks to technology.
Technology in Nigerian politics has given access to internet citizens to gain information so they can be educated about the latest happening or events in the realm of politics. Today people have access to government speech, campaign and rallies.
For instance, drawing inferences from the just concluded presidential elections, social media proved to be a veritable tool for mass mobilization and galvanizing people support for respective political parties.
Since innovation is a non stop process, Adoption of idea like placing CCTV camera in strategic places in elections ground would help in attaining transparencies in the electoral process.
No doubt technology has revolutionized Nigeria politics and owing to the fact that no one can stop an innovation whose time has come, more innovation is bound to take place in the parlance of politics.
– Musa Rachael Ojonugwa
Prince Abubakar Audu University Anyigba, Kogi State.
