Democracy in the 21st century is facing a paradox. While digital technologies were highly celebrated as instrument for expanding election participation, transparency, and accountability, they are increasingly being weaponised by state powers, politicians to surveil, manipulate and suppress the citizens-a phenomenon known as Digital Authoritarianism. Digital authoritarianism is said to be the act of using digital technologies such as AI, facial recognition, internet shutdowns, social media manipulation, and data harvesting by governments to consolidate power, monitor cyber-bullying, dissent, and shape public opinion. In fact, while traditional authoritarianism relied on the instrumentality of physical force or repression, digital authoritarianism operates through algorithms, data and infrastructure.
Globally, several countries such as China, India, Russia, Turkey and many African countries often deploy digital tools to monitor and control information flow during elections, crises and protests. In Nigeria and other 'uncertain democracies', there is a total reliance on social media regulation bills, internet shutdowns during protests like #ENDSARS, and the use of surveillance technology by security agencies. For this reason, scholars are expected to submit papers that will address this fundamental question whether democracy can survive in an era where the same tools meant to empower the citizens are used to control them. Against that background, papers are expected to rethink governance in a changing global system particularly, the African elections in determining how digital authoritarianism is reshaping democratic norms civic space and state-citizen relations.
