The integration of election technology in Nigeria has been widely promoted as a mechanism to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of electoral administration. This study investigates the impact of election technology on administrative transformation in Nigeria, employing a comparative longitudinal approach across the 2015, 2019, 2023, and projected 2027 general elections. Anchored in Socio-Technical Systems Theory and Institutional Theory, the research examines how the deployment of technologies such as Smart Card Readers, Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems (BVAS), and the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) interacts with institutional and infrastructural factors to shape administrative outcomes. A mixed-methods design was adopted, combining quantitative surveys of registered voters, INEC officials, and political party agents with qualitative interviews and document analysis of official reports and observer mission findings. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression to test the relationships between technology deployment, administrative efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency, with institutional and infrastructural factors as mediators. Qualitative data were analysed thematically, with cross-case comparisons highlighting patterns across election cycles. Findings indicate that election technology significantly improves administrative efficiency and effectiveness, while transparency gains are mediated by institutional readiness, legal frameworks, staff competence, and infrastructural capacity. Comparative analysis shows incremental improvements across the 2015, 2019, and 2023 elections, with projected consolidation in 2027, reflecting cumulative institutional learning and technology integration. The study confirms that technology alone cannot achieve administrative transformation without complementary organisational and infrastructural support. The study contributes to theory by integrating socio-technical and institutional perspectives in electoral administration, and provides practical recommendations for strengthening technology deployment, capacity building, and legal enforcement in Nigeria’s electoral system. These insights are relevant for policymakers, election management bodies, and scholars interested in the governance and modernisation of electoral processes in emerging democracies.
Nwambuko et al. (Sun,) studied this question.