Senate Explains Removal of ‘Real-Time’ Clause from 2026 Electoral Bill

The Nigerian Senate has clarified why it removed the phrase “real time” from a controversial provision in the proposed 2026 Electoral Bill, insisting that the decision was driven by infrastructural limitations rather than political motives.

The explanation was provided by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District. In a statement issued on Sunday through his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Bamidele addressed growing public concern over the amendment to Clause 60(3) of the bill.

The original clause had mandated that the presiding officer “shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in real time.” However, the Senate rejected that specific wording and redrafted the clause to retain electronic transmission of results while removing the requirement that it be done instantly.

According to Bamidele, while the idea of real-time electronic transmission aligns with global best practices, lawmakers had to weigh the provision against Nigeria’s current technological and infrastructural realities.

He described the initial proposal as “an initiative that any legislature or parliament globally would ordinarily have embraced,” but stressed that responsible lawmaking must reflect local capacity.

Citing data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Bamidele noted that broadband coverage in Nigeria stood at approximately 70 percent in 2025, while internet penetration reached only 44.53 percent of the population. These figures, he argued, reveal significant gaps that could undermine the feasibility of enforcing real-time transmission nationwide.

Further referencing the Speedtest Global Index, the Senate leader pointed out that Nigeria ranked 85th out of 105 countries in mobile network reliability and 129th out of 150 countries in fixed broadband reliability. Nigeria’s average mobile network speed was reported at 44.14 megabits per second—far below countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Singapore, which top global rankings.

On fixed broadband, Nigeria recorded an average speed of 33.32 mbps, placing it near the bottom of global performance tables.

Beyond internet connectivity, Bamidele also highlighted electricity challenges. He stated that roughly 85 million Nigerians—about 43 percent of the population—lack access to grid electricity. Although national generation capacity fluctuates between 12,000 and 13,500 megawatts, only about 4,500 megawatts are reliably transmitted and distributed to households.

“These realities are not about emotion or sentiment,” Bamidele said. “As representatives of the people, we cannot enact laws based purely on public emotion. We must ensure that whatever we legislate is implementable and does not create systemic instability.”

He warned that mandating real-time transmission without adequate infrastructure could lead to widespread technical failures during elections, potentially eroding public confidence rather than strengthening it.

The Senate maintains that electronic transmission of results remains intact in the revised bill. What has changed, according to lawmakers, is the removal of a strict “real-time” obligation, allowing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) operational flexibility based on prevailing conditions.

Despite the explanation, the amendment has sparked intense public debate. Critics argue that removing the real-time requirement could weaken transparency safeguards, especially in light of controversies surrounding previous elections. Supporters of the Senate’s decision, however, contend that overpromising on technological capacity could create legal and logistical crises during nationwide polls.

As deliberations on the 2026 Electoral Bill continue, the debate underscores the broader tension between reform ambitions and infrastructural constraints in Nigeria’s democratic process.