Category: All News

The Senator representing Ekiti State District, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has disclosed the real reason behind the removal of “real time” from the 2026 Electoral Bill.

He clarified this in a statement issued through his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs on Sunday.

Bamidele explained that the Senate had previously rejected Clause 60(3) of the bill, which mandated that the presiding officer “shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in real time…”.

The clause was subsequently redrafted to retain electronic transmission of results while omitting the “real time” requirement.

Bamidele described Clause 60(3) as “an initiative that any legislature or parliament globally would ordinarily have embraced.”

He added that the Senate had to consider the country’s infrastructural realities before making its decision.

Drawing on data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Bamidele noted that broadband coverage stood at about 70 percent in 2025, while internet penetration was 44.53 percent of the population.

He cited 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.

“Based on the Speedtest Global Index, Nigeria’s mobile network reliability was 44.14 megabits per second. This is extremely low compared with the UAE, which has 691.76 mbps; Qatar with 573.53 mbps; Kuwait with 415.67 mbps; Bahrain with 303.21 mbps; and Bulgaria with 289.41 mbps.

“The Index placed Nigeria far below the global average.

“Nigeria’s fixed internet broadband rating is quite low by global standards. Out of 150 countries, Nigeria occupied the 129th position with only 33.32 mbps.

“In this rating, Singapore came first with 410.06 mbps, followed by the UAE with 382.35 mbps; France with 346.25 mbps; Chile with 348.41 mbps; and Hong Kong with 345.25 mbps,” he stated.

He further highlighted that around 85 million Nigerians, roughly 43 percent of the population, lack access to grid electricity.

“This shortfall speaks to the state of our power infrastructure. Even though our generation capacity hovers roughly between 12,000 and 13,500 megawatts, our distribution and transmission capacity are acutely limited.

“As we all know, it can only deliver 4,500 megawatts to households nationwide. But with the Electricity Act, 2025, our power sector will record significant growth from this financial year,” the lawmaker added.

Bamidele warned that enforcing real-time transmission under these conditions could lead to instability.

“The data speak directly to the stark realities of our federation, not emotion or sentiment. As representatives of the people, we cannot enact laws based purely on public emotion or sentiment,” he stated.

According to the Senate leader, the removal of “real time” aims to ensure the electoral framework aligns with Nigeria’s current capabilities while still addressing public concerns about transparency.

E-transmission: Senate reveals why ‘real time’ was removed

The newly emerged National President of the Congress of NOUN Student, CONS, Comrade Daudu Jeffery, has described the comments of the Senate on the electronic transmission of results as not only disappointing but also damaging to Nigeria’s democratic image.

Recall that the Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee reviewing the 2026 Electoral Bill, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire, had insisted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) does not currently possess the capacity to conduct electronic voting.

Adegbonmire, on Thursday, stated that Nigeria had not transitioned to an electronic voting regime, stressing that IReV “is not an e-voting platform, but a platform where the election results that have been manually counted and declared at the polling units are uploaded and publicised.”

Reacting to this, the CONS National President argued that such remarks indicate either a lack of political will or an unwillingness to embrace electoral integrity at a time when technology drives openness and accountability.

Speaking on Saturday in his acceptance speech after emerging as the National President of the Congress, Jeffery contended that the remark that Nigeria is “not ready” after several election cycles and significant financial investments in the electoral system begs the question of whether the country is truly committed to democratic reform.

He said, “Nigeria has reached a point where abnormalities are treated as normal and normal things are seen as strange. That is a dangerous reality for any nation that truly desires progress.

“The claim by the Senate that Nigeria is not ready for real-time transmission of election results is not only disappointing but also damaging to our democratic image. In an era where technology drives transparency and accountability across the world, making such a statement suggests either a lack of political will or an unwillingness to embrace electoral credibility.

“Real-time result transmission is not a luxury; it is a necessary tool to strengthen public trust, reduce electoral manipulation, and align Nigeria with global best practices. Saying we are ‘not ready’ after multiple election cycles and huge budgetary allocations to our electoral system raises serious concerns about our commitment to democratic reform. Nigeria is not incapable; what we lack is the courage to implement what is right.”

Meanwhile, he congratulated the newly inaugurated Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Uduma Oji Uduma, urging him to prioritise key academic and administrative concerns affecting students of the institution.

“Your appointment is a significant milestone and a positive development for the institution. Please facilitate and implement academic projects that directly address the challenges facing students across study centres. Ensure timely and unrestricted access to complete course materials for all registered courses, in line with payments already made by students.

“Improve the efficiency of academic processes, particularly the prompt handling and release of results for non-examinable courses such as DES and other continuous assessment-based programmes.”

According to Jeffery, addressing these crucial issues will improve the educational process, shorten academic progression delays, and boost trust in the university’s distance learning system.

He, however, expressed appreciation to NOUN students nationwide for the confidence reposed in his leadership and reaffirmed his commitment to purposeful representation, student welfare, academic advancement, and the protection of the rights and interests of all NOUN students across study centres.

E-transmission: Senate ‘not ready’ remark undermines Nigeria’s democracy – Students’ leader

The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has said that President Bola Tinubu has performed better than former Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan, but claimed that Nigerians dislike him.

Primate Ayodele said Tinubu has done well for Nigerians, but those surrounding him are against his second-term ambition.

Addressing journalists in Lagos on Sunday, the clergyman said: “Tinubu has done well for Nigerians, but the problem is that Nigerians hate him. The problem is nemesis. Tinubu’s problem is that those surrounding him don’t like him and they don’t want him for a second term.

“He has to wake up, restrategize, and focus on what to do. The agenda must change, but the point is that Tinubu has done better than Buhari; maybe he has even done better than Jonathan.

“I passed through the Coastal Road, whether it’s genuine or counterfeit. From that point, in four hours you will be in Calabar instead of 18 to 22 hours. If you are travelling around the Ajah area, it’s very fast. For that reason, Tinubu has done so well.”

He said some state governors and House of Assembly members would not win a second term in 2027 unless there is rigging.

He said: “We have seen chairmen who can become governors, and of course they have demonstrated it; they have the mind of the people at heart.

“There are some governors and House of Representatives members who, except there is rigging, I don’t think they can win in 2027.”

Primate Ayodele warned that 2027 would not be like 2023 because Nigerians would come out en masse.

He also said Nigerians would not appreciate the efforts of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan.

“The 2027 election is not going to be like that of 2023. Nigerians are determined; they are coming out strongly, and the date of the election, I don’t see it as being realistic. The date might be changed, but let’s wait and see. There is no amount of effort from the INEC Chairman that Nigerians will appreciate.

“Nigerians will rebuke him, they will bully him, and they will take different measures against him,” he said.

2027: Nigerians hate Tinubu despite doing better than Buhari, Jonathan – Primate Ayodele