Nigeria not ready for mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results, says senate leader

Senate leader Opeyemi Bamidele says Nigeria lacks the communications and power infrastructure needed to support mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results nationwide.

In a statement issued on Sunday by his directorate of media and public affairs, Bamidele said current data shows the country cannot reliably upload election results in real time across all polling units.

Senate modifies electoral bill amid infrastructure concerns

The Senate had earlier rejected clause 60(3) of the Electoral Bill 2026, which proposed that presiding officers “shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in real time.”

Lawmakers later reviewed the clause and retained electronic transmission, but added that Form EC8A would serve as the primary collation document where internet access fails.

Bamidele said the proposal for real-time transmission aligns with global democratic standards but stressed that Nigeria’s infrastructure remains inadequate.

“Clause 60(3) of the bill is an initiative that any legislature or parliament globally will have embraced ordinarily,” he said.

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Poor internet coverage and broadband reliability cited

Citing Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) data, Bamidele said broadband coverage reached about 70 percent in 2025, while only 44.53 percent of Nigerians had internet access.

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.

“Nigeria’s mobile network reliability was 44.14 megabits per second,” he said, noting that this is significantly lower than countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Bulgaria.

He added that Nigeria’s fixed broadband speed of 33.32 Mbps places it far below global standards.

Power shortages also limit real-time transmission capacity

Bamidele said unreliable electricity supply presents another major obstacle to real-time electronic transmission of election results.

According to him, about 85 million Nigerians — roughly 43 per cent of the population — do not have access to grid electricity.

“This shortfall speaks to the state of our power infrastructure,” he said.

He added that while electronic transmission remains part of the electoral framework, Nigeria must first address gaps in connectivity and electricity before mandating real-time uploads nationwide.