Sun. Sep 8th, 2024

Only 50% of Polling Units in Nigeria Have Access to 3G Network to Transmit Election Result – NCC

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), says only about 50 per cent of polling units in Nigeria are covered by 3G network and can transmit elections results electronically.

The Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Ubale Maska stated this, Friday, in Abuja, while addressing the House of Representatives.

NCC was invited by the lawmakers to brief them, following uproar at the chambers of the House on Thursday, while members were considering clause 52 of the Electoral Amendment Bill.

The house was divided over the clause which made provisions for transmission of election results electronically.

According to him, about 50.3 per cent of the polling units have 3G and 2G network coverage, while parts of the remaining 46.7 have only 2G and the rest do not have coverage at all.

He explained that only polling units with 3G network coverage could transmit election results electronically.

He, however, explained that results could be uploaded in areas covered by 2G and later be moved to an area with 3G for the transmission to be completed.

On the possibility of hacking the process, Maska said that no system could be 100 per cent free from the activities of hackers.

He was responding to a question from a lawmaker which bothered the ability of the agency to prevent hackers from tampering with the process.

Maska recalled that the 2016 presidential elections in the United States were widely believed to be hacked, saying that activities of hackers were reported daily.

Responding, Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila said, the house would revert to the Committee of the Whole to consider clause 52 and other clauses yet to be considered.

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