THE EFFECT OF CARD READERS ON ELECTION CREDIBILITY IN NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF 2015 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS)

The 2015 presidential elections were used as a case study in this study to look at the impact of card readers on election credibility in Nigeria. The study's specific objectives were to investigate the impact of card readers on election credibility in Nigeria, assess the card reader's dependability during the voting process, and pinpoint any drawbacks to its use. The survey descriptive research design was used for the study. All of the survey respondents, who all lived in one of Kaduna State's three senatorial districts, provided a total of 30 valid responses. The results from the responses collected and analyzed showed that the card reader is a reliable election tool; there are restrictions on the use of card reader machines in Nigeria; the 2015 general elections were credible in large part because of the card readers; there is a significant correlation between card readers and the credibility of the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria; and card readers help to reduce election rigging in Nigeria. The study advises widespread education and sensitization through social media, especially for rural residents, because if you are not informed, you will be misinformed, and when you are misinformed, you cannot perform. Additionally, intensive and thorough training will be provided to the human resources needed to operate the card reader or a device that will be used in its place during future elections. Furthermore, since Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was established by Federal Republic of Nigeria law in 1999, electronic accreditations of permanent voter cards of the electorate should be included in the Nigerian Constitution to address the issue of the legality of card readers or their equivalent in our future elections.