THE Senate has defended its decision to make the electronic transmission of election results discretionary rather than mandatory in the ongoing reform of the country’s electoral framework, insisting that its action was guided by empirical evidence and national realities.
News Point Nigeria reports that he upper legislative chamber said the amendment to Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Bill, 2026, followed extensive consultations and careful evaluation of data from the communications and power sectors, not emotions or political considerations.
Clause 60(3) of the proposed Electoral Bill had stipulated that presiding officers “shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in real time.”
However, the Senate reviewed the clause and removed the phrase “in real time,” effectively making electronic transmission discretionary. The amendment also provides that in the event of internet failure, Form EC8A would serve as the primary means of result collation.
The decision sparked nationwide debate, with critics arguing that real-time electronic transmission would strengthen transparency and public trust in elections.
In a statement issued through his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said lawmaking carries significant responsibility and must be rooted in verifiable facts.
According to him, while the idea of real-time electronic transmission is progressive and widely embraced in many democracies, Nigeria’s current infrastructural realities present serious limitations.
“Law-making globally comes with huge obligations. As representatives of the people, we cannot enact laws based purely on public emotion or sentiment,” he said.
Bamidele noted that although the clause could potentially deepen public trust in democratic institutions, including the National Assembly and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Senate had to consider whether Nigeria’s infrastructure could sustain such a mandate.
Citing data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Senate leader said Nigeria achieved only about 70 per cent broadband coverage in 2025, while internet user penetration stood at 44.53 per cent 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’s mobile network reliability averages 44.14 megabits per second, far below countries such as the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait. Fixed broadband speeds were rated at 33.32 megabits per second, placing Nigeria near the bottom of the global ranking.
Bamidele argued that these figures raise serious concerns about the feasibility of mandating real-time electronic transmission across thousands of polling units nationwide.
The Senate leader also highlighted structural deficiencies in the power sector. Official data indicate that about 85 million Nigerians roughly 43 per cent of the population lack access to grid electricity.
While Nigeria’s installed generation capacity hovers between 12,000 and 13,500 megawatts, actual distribution capacity delivers only about 4,500 megawatts to households nationwide.
He warned that imposing mandatory real-time electronic transmission under such conditions could trigger logistical breakdowns and potentially plunge the country into electoral disputes.
Bamidele stressed that by global standards, real-time electronic transmission may not yet be practicable in Nigeria.
“To avoid a situation that compounds our country’s woes, it is better we make it discretionary,” he said, noting that Section 62(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022, has already established the National Electronic Register of Election Results.
He added that laws must capture the realities of the federation, warning that legislation divorced from infrastructural capacity could become “a script for anarchy or a ploy for instability.”
According to him, the Senate’s redrafting of Clause 60(3) and (5) was intended to balance public demand for transparency with practical constraints on the ground.
The e-transmission clause has generated significant public controversy, with civil society groups and opposition figures staging protests.
Among those who criticised the amendment were former presidential candidate Peter Obi and former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi.
The backlash prompted the Senate to convene an emergency session to address concerns and clarify its position on the controversial provision.