The Senate has reaffirmed its support for the electronic transmission of election results in real time to INEC’s iREV portal, but warned that poor network coverage in remote and riverine communities could undermine the process if safeguards are not built into the law.
Senator Neda Imasuen, representing Edo South Senatorial District, made the position known on Monday while speaking on Khakaki, a current affairs programme aired on African Independent Television (AIT), during a discussion on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
While stressing that the Senate has no objection to real-time electronic transmission on Election Day, Imasuen raised a critical concern: what becomes of results from rural areas where mobile networks are weak or non-existent?
He questioned whether elections conducted in such locations would be invalidated simply because results could not be transmitted instantly, noting that this could unfairly disenfranchise entire communities.
To underscore the challenge, the Senator cited parts of Ovia North-East and Ovia South-West Local Government Areas in his district, where some villages can only be accessed by boat or canoe, and where residents struggle with basic network connectivity.
Amid reports suggesting that the amended Electoral Act had already been passed into law, Imasuen clarified that the bill was still undergoing legislative procedures. He explained that both the Senate and the House of Representatives must first harmonise their versions of the bill before final passage.
“Let me quickly correct the impression that the bill has been passed. It has not,” he said. “Both chambers will constitute committees to reconcile the bill. It will return to us for consideration and voting before it can be said to have been passed as an amendment.”
On the role of civil society organisations, the Senator acknowledged their strong advocacy for credible elections and real-time transmission of results, describing them as critical watchdogs of democracy. However, he suggested that their impact would be even greater if they were directly involved in legislative engagements to help craft practical solutions.
Imasuen explained that while the Electoral Act already provides a 24-hour window for concluding elections in certain circumstances, the challenge of electronic transmission goes beyond time constraints to fundamental infrastructure gaps.
“As we speak, parts of my constituency are in riverine areas where there is no network at all,” he said, adding that he was engaging telecommunications companies to install network masts to address the problem.
Further details obtained by this online newspaper indicate that the Senator also urged relevant regulatory agencies and service providers to prioritise national interest over profit, warning that electoral reforms must reflect Nigeria’s infrastructural realities.
He concluded that while technology remains vital to credible elections, no Nigerian community should be excluded from the democratic process because of challenges beyond its control.
