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| Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti), majority leader of the 10th Senate |
The Nigerian Senate has defended its position on a contentious clause of the 2026 Electoral Bill, saying the decision was guided by empirical evidence rather than emotion or public pressure.
Senate Majority Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said lawmakers based their approach to the electronic transmission of election results on “stark realities” in the country’s communication and power infrastructure, following consultations with experts and stakeholders in the telecommunications and energy sectors.
In a statement issued by his media office in Abuja, Bamidele explained that the upper chamber had reviewed Clause 60(3) of the bill, which initially required presiding officers to transmit polling unit results electronically to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal in real time.
The Senate leader said the amendment was adjusted retaining electronic transmission provisions but making it discretionary and introducing a fallback option using Form EC8A in areas where internet or power challenges might arise.
Bamidele emphasised that law-making should respond to practical realities. He cited data indicating that Nigeria’s broadband penetration and network reliability levels along with widespread gaps in access to grid electricity could undermine the effectiveness of a mandatory real-time transmission requirement.
He maintained that the revised position seeks to balance technological ambition with on-the-ground feasibility, ensuring electoral laws are both aspirational and implementable.
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