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The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has said the National Assembly adopted a hybrid system of electronic and manual transmission of election results in the amended Electoral Act to prevent voter disenfranchisement and curb apathy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Abbas explained that Nigeria’s limited internet coverage and erratic power supply made it unrealistic to rely solely on real-time electronic transmission nationwide.
He spoke on Sunday during a courtesy visit by the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, Felix Costales.
According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi, Abbas met the envoy alongside the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Abubakar Bichi; the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Wole Oke; and the Chairman of the Nigeria-China Parliamentary Friendship Group, Jafaru Yakubu.
The statement noted that the Spanish envoy indicated that Spain also operates a system that permits the manual transmission of election results.
Abbas assured that, based on his engagement with the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the 2027 general elections would be more credible and inclusive.
On the Electoral Act, he 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 little 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 added, “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, already, if you look at the number of our registered voters in this country, it is alarming.
“It is sad to say that even with the manual arrangement we are using, we are only able to capture about 12–15 per cent of registered voters who, after every four years, come to vote. That’s voter apathy. Very few people go out to vote.”
According to Abbas, relying exclusively on electronic transmission could further suppress participation.
“Now, 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. It means what we should be expecting is not only disenfranchising the voters — denying some people the right to vote — we will also record, perhaps, the lowest number of voters in the next elections.
“These are all avoidable. That is why we said, in our wisdom, the Electoral Act should be hybrid — a combination of both the manual and electronic systems. Where it is feasible to use the electronic transmission, use the electronic transmission; where it is not possible, use the manual, because there is no way one form, particularly the electronic, can be used entirely in all parts of the country for the elections.”
He further argued that critics were aware of the country’s infrastructural limitations.
“The opposition, even though they know the truth — are Nigerians, they live in Nigeria, they travel all over Nigeria — they know that the level of internet penetration in Nigeria is inadequate. There is no way you will be able to have transparent elections using an inadequate system, and through our energy crisis in the country as well, we do not have enough electricity.
“The internet is always backed by energy. How do you power the entire country on the day of the election to have phones that are working and internet that is working, backed by adequate electricity? All those are challenges that, for now, will not be able to provide us the opportunity to do transmission in real time online.”
Describing democracy as a gradual and evolving process, Abbas said, “In our entire democracy, we will continue to improve year after year, election after election. I believe Nigeria, with the support of countries like Spain, will do better.
“We expect you to continue to guide us and give us all the technical advice and support to do better, particularly in the National Assembly, through collaboration between your country and our parliament. It will go a long way in strengthening our competence, particularly in areas of legislative drafting and so on. I believe that with what you have in Spain, Nigeria can benefit a lot.”
He added that while progress may not meet international expectations, Nigeria was moving steadily forward.
Earlier, Costales said his visit aimed to strengthen legislative diplomacy and deepen bilateral ties between Spain and Nigeria. He pledged support for efforts to consolidate democratic institutions.
“You can count on us — whatever we can do to deepen Nigerian democracy. Yes, there may be challenges, but you can count on us in any way possible.”
The envoy also noted that political polarisation was a global phenomenon.
“Sometimes when you dig down, you realise that the issues are not that big, or not as big as they seem in the public discourse. It happens a lot in Spain… At the end of the day, if you want to move forward in democracy, you have to reach some level of compromise. We have to try to rule and govern on the level of consensus.”
Bola Tinubu recently assented to the amended Electoral Act passed by the National Assembly as part of reforms aimed at enhancing the credibility and inclusiveness of future elections, particularly the 2027 general polls.
The amendment clarifies the legal framework for transmitting election results, authorising both electronic and manual methods depending on infrastructure availability and operational feasibility.
The reform has sparked debate among political stakeholders and civil society groups. Supporters describe the hybrid model as pragmatic, while critics warn it could undermine transparency if not properly implemented and monitored.
