“Nigeria Cannot Guarantee Real-Time Electronic Transmission of Results” — Senate Leader

The Senate says its decision to make electronic transmission of election results optional under the Electoral Bill 2026 was guided by infrastructure data and sector consultations.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele disclosed the position in a statement issued in Abuja by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs. He said lawmakers reviewed Clause 60(3) of the bill after examining the country’s communications and power capacity.

The clause had proposed that presiding officers “shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in real time.” The Senate resolved to amend the provision by removing the words “real time” and introducing a fallback: where internet service fails, Form EC8A will serve as the primary document for result collation.

Bamidele said the provision could strengthen public confidence in democratic institutions, including the National Assembly and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). However, he noted that infrastructure gaps could undermine implementation.

Citing figures from the Nigerian Communications Commission, he said broadband coverage stood at about 70 percent in 2025, while internet penetration reached 44.53 percent of the population.

He also referenced the Speedtest Global Index, which ranked Nigeria 85th out of 105 countries in mobile network reliability and 129th out of 150 countries in fixed broadband reliability. According to the index, Nigeria recorded average mobile speeds of 44.14 Mbps and fixed broadband speeds of 33.32 Mbps.

On electricity supply, he said about 85 million Nigerians lack access to grid power, representing roughly 43 percent of the population. Although generation capacity ranges between 12,000 and 13,500 megawatts, only about 4,500 megawatts are transmitted nationwide due to system constraints.

The Senate, he said, redrafted Clause 60(3) and related provisions to reflect these realities while retaining electronic transmission within the electoral framework.