The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has explained why the upper chamber removed the phrase “real time” from the Electoral Bill, 2026, after reviewing Nigeria’s communication and power infrastructure.
Bamidele made this known in a statement issued on Sunday by his directorate of media and public affairs.
He said the Senate had earlier rejected Clause 60(3) of the bill, which stated that the presiding officer “shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in real time…”.
According to him, the Senate later redrafted the clause. While it retained electronic transmission of results to the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission, it removed the words “real time”.
Bamidele described Clause 60(3) as “an initiative that any legislature or parliament globally will have embraced ordinarily”.
However, he said the Senate had to consider Nigeria’s current infrastructure before making its final decision.
Citing data from the Nigerian Communications Commission, he said broadband coverage stood at about 70 per cent in 2025, while internet penetration was 44.53 per cent of the population.
He also referred to 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.
Bamidele further said that at least 85 million Nigerians do not have access to grid electricity, representing about 43 per cent of the population. He warned that making real-time transmission compulsory could create serious challenges and cause instability during elections.
“The data speak directly to the stark realities of our federation and not the emotion or sentiment. As representatives of the people, we cannot enact laws based purely on public emotion or sentiment,” he stated.
He added that the removal of “real time” was meant to ensure that Nigeria’s electoral framework reflects the country’s present capacity, while still responding to public concerns about transparency.
According to him, the amendment was made in the interest of voters, election officials, and national stability, as the Senate continues to work towards improving the credibility of elections in the country.
