Election results will be announced by humans, not computers — President Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has emphasized that election results in Nigeria will continue to be announced by humans rather than computers, stressing the importance of public confidence in the country’s electoral system.
He made the remarks on Wednesday during the signing of the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) into law, held at the presidential Villa in Abuja.
President Tinubu stated, “It is time that we have confidence in our system. No matter how good a system is, it is managed by the people, promoted by the people, and finalized by the people. For final results, you are not going to be talking to the computer; you will be talking to human beings who announce the results.”
He highlighted concerns about the country’s technological readiness, including broadband capabilities, noting that while electronic transmission can aid accuracy, the core voting and counting process remains manual. “As long as you appear personally as a manual voter in any polling booth, a ballot paper is given to you. You decide in private, cast your vote without interference, and ballots are subsequently counted and sorted manually. The arithmetic accuracy is then entered electronically, but the process remains essentially manual,” he said.
President Tinubu also urged Nigerians to avoid unnecessary interference in the electoral process. “We need to avoid glitches and interference in this age of computer inquisitiveness. Nigeria will continue to flourish. We will nurture this democracy for the prosperity and stability of our country,” he added.
He described the essence of democracy as strong, inclusive discussions and careful management of elections to prevent confusion or disenfranchisement. “The crucial point is to manage the process so that there will be no confusion, no disenfranchisement of Nigerians, and democracy can flourish,” Tinubu said.
