Despite President Bola Tinubu signing the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) into law on Wednesday, Nigeria’s major telecommunications providers have rejected the National Assembly’s assertion that the nation lacks the infrastructure for real-time electronic result transmission.
Major operators, including MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and T2 Mobile, contend that the objections raised by lawmakers are based on “half-truths rather than current industry data.”
Through the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), these companies insist that current network coverage is more than sufficient to transmit results from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (iREV) and various collation centers in preparation for the 2027 elections.
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ALTON Chairman Gbenga Adebayo urged the Senate to consult the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for verified data instead of making generalized claims about infrastructure deficits.
Highlighting the current state of connectivity, Adebayo stated: “As we speak today, over 70 per cent of the country is covered by 3G and 4G networks, 5G has reached about 11 per cent coverage, while the remaining areas are on 2G. Even in reality, 2G is strong enough to transmit results electronically.”
He further pushed back against the legislative stance, noting, “We cannot accept a blanket ban on electronic transmission based on half-truths about our infrastructure and investments.”
While acknowledging that insecurity in a couple of states has hindered facility maintenance, Adebayo argued these are isolated issues that require collaboration rather than a “nationwide rejection” of electronic systems.
This perspective mirrors the stance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which has previously explained that results uploaded in low-coverage areas would “transmit automatically once the device entered an area with coverage.”
As the country looks toward the 2027 general elections, the debate over real-time transmission remains a focal point for civil society groups who view the technology as essential for maintaining “transparency and public trust in the electoral process.”
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