Senate finally reveals why real time was removed from Electoral Bill

Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele has revealed that the upper chamber removed the phrase “real time” from the Electoral Bill, 2026, after reviewing data on Nigeria’s communications and power infrastructure.

Bamidele stated this in a statement issued on Sunday by his directorate of media and public affairs.

The Senate had earlier resolved against clause 60(3) of the bill, which provides that the presiding officer “shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in real time…”.

The chamber subsequently redrafted the clause, retaining electronic transmission of results but removed “real time”.

Bamidele said clause 60(3) “is an initiative that any legislature or parliament globally will have embraced ordinarily”.

He, however, said the Senate had to weigh the country’s infrastructural realities before making its decision.

Citing data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Bamidele said broadband coverage stood at about 70 per cent in 2025, while internet penetration was 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.

Bamidele said at least 85 million Nigerians lack access to grid electricity, representing about 43 per cent of the population, and warned that making real-time transmission mandatory could trigger instability.

“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 deletion of “real time” was intended to ensure that the electoral framework reflects the country’s present capacity while addressing public concerns about transparency.