Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele stated that Nigeria lacked the necessary infrastructure to support mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results.
Opeyemi Bamidele, who serves as Senate Leader, released the statement through his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs on Sunday. He explained that available data indicated Nigeria’s current communications and power infrastructure could not reliably sustain nationwide real-time uploads of polling unit results. Bamidele pointed to figures from the Nigerian Communications Commission, which showed broadband coverage at approximately 70 percent in 2025. He added that significant gaps in electricity access further complicated the process.
The Senate examined clause 60(3) of the Electoral Bill, 2026. The clause required presiding officers to electronically transmit results from each polling unit to the Independent National Electoral Commission Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in real time. Lawmakers resolved against making this transmission mandatory in real time. Instead, they redrafted the provision to retain electronic transmission while allowing alternative methods, such as the use of Form EC8A manual sheets, when network or power failures occurred.
Bamidele described real-time electronic transmission as an initiative that legislatures worldwide would normally support. However, he noted that Nigeria’s developmental stage made mandatory application impracticable. He warned that enforcing the requirement without adequate infrastructure risked creating unpredictability and potential crises in the electoral process. The Senate, therefore, opted for a discretionary approach to align the law with existing realities while preserving options for electronic uploads where feasible.
The Senate based its position on empirical data from consultations with stakeholders in communications and power sectors. Bamidele clarified that the move aimed to balance transparency goals with practical constraints. He stressed that electronic transmission of results differed from electronic voting, as the former involved uploading manually counted results via devices like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System after physical declaration at polling units.
The redrafted clause sought to address widespread demands for credible elections ahead of the 2027 general polls. By removing the “real time” mandate and introducing safeguards for technical failures, the Senate ensured the framework remained responsive to Nigeria’s conditions. Bamidele affirmed that the National Electronic Register of Election Results, established under the 2022 Electoral Act, continued to support overall integrity in result management.
