Democracy can be undermined by the very instruments used to strengthen it. Stakeholders came together to address this issue head-on at the Co-creation HUB (CcHUB) fireside session held during the Digital Right and Inclusion Forum (DRIF) 2026, in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. A critical question that surfaced at the session was not whether technology belongs in Africa’s elections, it is whether Africa is deploying technology wisely to build resilient democracies.

Drawing on one of CcHUB’s comparative research spanning ten African countries, the session themed, “Clicks and Credibility: Technology’s Double-Edged Role in African Democracy”  brought together researchers, election stakeholders, civil society organisation, human rights defenders, and policymakers under the Trust and Accountability track – to examine the widening gap between technology promise and democratic reality.