National Assembly Approved Hybrid Election Results System to Prevent Disenfranchisement – Abbas

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has explained why the National Assembly approved a hybrid system for transmitting election results in the amended Electoral Act.

Abbas said the decision to combine electronic and manual transmission of results was made to prevent voter disenfranchisement and reduce voter apathy ahead of the 2027 general elections. He noted that relying only on real-time electronic transmission would not be practical in Nigeria.

According to him, Nigeria still faces challenges such as limited internet access and unstable electricity supply. He said these problems make it difficult to depend fully on electronic transmission across the country. Abbas pointed out that even in major cities like Abuja, stable internet service is not always guaranteed.

The Speaker made these remarks while receiving the Ambassador of Spain to Nigeria, Felix Costales, during a courtesy visit to his office at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.

In a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi, Abbas hosted the ambassador alongside key lawmakers. They included 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 also revealed that the Spanish envoy informed the Speaker that Spain operates a system that allows manual transmission of election results.

Abbas further assured Nigerians that, based on his discussions with the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the 2027 general elections would be more credible and inclusive.

Speaking on the debate surrounding the Electoral Act, Abbas said some people have overreacted to the issue. He stressed that while electronic transmission is important, the country must consider its current technological and infrastructure realities before fully adopting real-time electronic result transmission nationwide.