Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, has defended the National Assembly’s choice to incorporate both manual and electronic results transmission in the revised Electoral Act.
Abbas clarified that internet penetration in Nigeria is still very low and that approving electronic transmission alone could disenfranchise many Nigerians in the 2027 elections during a meeting with Ambassador Felix Costales, the Spanish ambassador to Nigeria, who visited his office in Abuja over the weekend.
Additionally, he contended that permitting just electronic transmission would increase voter apathy since those without internet access would not want to cast ballots.
The Speaker argued that this is the reason the parliamentarians, in their wisdom, decided that the Electoral Act should be a hybrid, integrating both manual and electronic methods, so that the manual will be employed when it is not viable to use the electronic transmission.
He did, however, guarantee that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is prepared to hold inclusive, transparent, and credible elections in 2027 despite the protests and worries that have followed the recently passed electoral act.
“As you mentioned, sometimes people scream far beyond the exact level of the issue,” the speaker stated. Many believe that Nigeria should adopt real-time electronic broadcasting. Even so, you should be able to comment on the quality of our internet network in the brief time you have been in Nigeria. You should be aware that reliable internet connectivity is not always guaranteed, especially in developed places like Abuja.
According to the NCC study, Nigeria is still underserved by over 40%, meaning that 40% of Nigeria’s total territory lacks internet access. Now, tell me: if you look at the amount of people who are registered to vote in this nation, those who believe that we should already do that find it concerning. Voter indifference is the unfortunate reality that, despite our laborious setup, we are only able to record 12–15% of registered voters who cast ballots every four years. Few persons cast ballots.
The number will be further decreased if we simply implement the electronic system, as 40% of the population is likely to be unable to cast a ballot due to inadequate internet access. It implies that we should anticipate not just voter disenfranchisement and the denial of voting rights to some individuals, but also possibly the lowest voter turnout in the upcoming elections. All of these can be prevented. Because of this, we reasoned that the Electoral Act need to be a hybrid, incorporating both electronic and manual systems. Since there is no possibility for one form—especially the electronic one—to be used completely throughout the nation for the elections, use the electronic transmission where it is practical to do so and the manual when it is not.
Speaker Abbas contended that opposition members who opposed the inclusion of both manual and electronic results transmission were aware of the actual state of internet services in the nation as well as the potential difficulties associated with real-time electronic results transmission.
The opposition is aware that Nigeria’s internet penetration rate is insufficient, despite the fact that they are Nigerians, live in Nigeria, and travel throughout the country. An insufficient system makes it impossible to hold transparent polls, and our nation’s energy crisis has left us without enough electricity. The internet is always powered; how can you provide enough electricity to run phones and the internet across the nation on voting day? All of those difficulties will prevent us from doing online real-time transmission at this moment,” he stated.
The Speaker continued by saying that Nigerian democracy is still developing and that opportunities for reform are constantly being investigated.
He said that he hoped Spain would keep helping the nation recover.
“We will keep getting better year after year, election after election, throughout our entire democracy. If you look into America’s past, you will see that it is not what it is today. Every democracy faces difficulties. With the help of nations like Spain, I think Nigeria would perform better.
“With cooperation between your nation and our parliament, we anticipate that you will continue to lead us and provide us with all the technical guidance and assistance we need to perform better, especially in the National Assembly. It will significantly increase our proficiency, especially in the development of legislation and associated fields. I think Nigeria can gain a lot from what you have in Spain.
“You can’t claim to have everything you need. You never stop learning. Although it may not be at the pace that the international community would want to see, we think Nigeria is doing fairly well. We’re going slowly, very slowly. I promise that the upcoming election will be more inclusive, accommodating, and transparent than the ones that have already occurred. I got the unique chance to meet the new chairman of INEC. I have heard all of his intentions and what he intends to do. The Speaker stated, “I think Nigeria will advance if everything he said is put into practice.”
The Spanish ambassador to Nigeria previously disclosed that his nation likewise manually transmits election results.
Amb. Contales stated that the purpose of his visit was to gain the Nigerian Parliament’s knowledge in order to strengthen bilateral ties between the two nations, particularly in legislative diplomacy.
“You can rely on us to do everything in our power to strengthen Nigerian democracy. Yes, there can be difficulties, but you can always rely on us.
“I am aware that the parliament is busy right now because a new Electoral Act has been approved. Before then, I wanted to come see you. The elections have already taken place here. We wish to strengthen parliamentary diplomacy with Nigeria due to the significance of your nation. Although it is not as advanced as we have with other countries now, the Spanish ambassador stated that we should attempt to embrace it in the future, perhaps following the elections.
“Of course, we are going to closely follow the electoral period ahead of us,” he stated in reference to the elections. It’s a long time; elections are always significant; and people’s views are always divided. Digging deeper can sometimes reveal that the problems are not as significant as they appear in public conversation. In Spain, where parliamentary politics are currently extremely polarized, it occurs frequently. We also have the minority; this is a phenomenon that we see in polarized countries like the US and Europe.
“In the end, you have to come to some sort of compromise if you want democracy to advance. We must attempt to rule by consensus. We are all aware that the game of parliament involves rivalry. You enter elections with the intention of winning.
According to reports, Speaker Abbas welcomed the Spanish ambassador alongside Hon. Abubakar Kabir Bichi, the chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations; Hon. Wole Oke, the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs; and Hon. Jafaru Yakubu, the chairman of the Nigeria-China Parliamentary Friendship Group.
