The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Sunday said the National Assembly approved a hybrid system of electronic and manual transmission of election results in the amended Electoral Act to prevent voter disenfranchisement and reduce apathy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Abbas explained that Nigeria’s limited internet penetration and unstable power supply made it impractical to rely solely on real-time electronic transmission across the country.
Speaking during a courtesy visit from the Ambassador of Spain to Nigeria, Felix Costales, at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, Abbas said, “Sometimes, people scream far beyond the exact level of the issue.
“A lot of people think that we need to embrace electronic transmission in real-time in Nigeria, but within the very short period that you’ve been in Nigeria, you should be able to speak on the quality of our internet network.
“You should know that even in advanced cities like Abuja, you are not guaranteed stable internet services all the time.”
He continued, “Based on the NCC report, they said Nigeria is still underserved by almost 40 per cent, which means 40 per cent of territories at large in Nigeria are not covered by the internet.
“Now, tell me, for those who are saying we should go ahead and do that…if we are to introduce only the electronic system, it will further reduce the number, because 40 per cent of the country will probably not be able to vote, as they don’t have adequate internet services.
