Nigeria Not Ready!” — Bamidele Opposes Mandatory Real-Time Election Result Uploads

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has said Nigeria is not yet equipped to implement compulsory real-time electronic transmission of election results, citing deficiencies in the country’s communications and power infrastructure.

He made the position known in a statement released on Sunday by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, amid ongoing discussions over Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Bill 2026.

The Senate had earlier rejected Clause 60(3), which mandates that presiding officers electronically transmit results from each polling unit directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in real time. However, lawmakers later revisited the provision, retaining electronic transmission but adding that where internet connectivity fails, the manual result sheet, Form EC8A, would serve as the primary basis for collation.

While describing the clause as a progressive initiative that legislatures around the world would ordinarily adopt, Bamidele maintained that Nigeria’s current realities pose major obstacles.

Quoting figures from the Nigerian Communications Commission, he noted that broadband coverage stood at roughly 70 percent in 2025, with internet penetration at 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 in fixed broadband reliability. According to him, Nigeria’s mobile network speed was recorded at 44.14 Mbps — significantly lower than countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Bulgaria — placing it well below the global average.

On fixed broadband, he said Nigeria’s average speed of 33.32 Mbps ranked 129th globally, underscoring infrastructure limitations.

Bamidele further argued that unreliable electricity supply presents another major hurdle, noting that about 85 million Nigerians — approximately 43 percent of the population — do not have access to grid power. He said this reality further complicates the possibility of enforcing mandatory real-time transmission of election results nationwide.