Electronic Transmission: Telco Operators’ Refute Inadequate Infrastructure Claims
ABUJA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally signed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026 into law, sparking an immediate and fierce ideological confrontation between the Presidency and the nation’s telecommunications giants. While the President insists that “humans, not computers” must ultimately determine election outcomes, the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has dismissed claims of inadequate infrastructure as “half-truths.” Speaking from the Presidential Villa on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Tinubu argued that the sanctity of the vote depends on professional oversight rather than real-time electronic transmission. Consequently, the new law retains a controversial “manual backup” clause, granting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) wide discretionary powers that critics label as a “backdoor to manipulation.”
The technical rebuttal from the telecom sector was swift and data-driven. ALTON Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, challenged the National Assembly to rely on verified Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) statistics rather than anecdotal evidence. He noted that over 70% of Nigeria currently enjoys 3G and 4G coverage, while even the basic 2G network is “strong enough” to transmit simple text-based results. Furthermore, while 5G penetration currently crawls at approximately 11%, the telcos insist that the existing digital architecture can comfortably support the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV). Indeed, the operators argue that localized security challenges in insurgency-hit states should not justify a blanket nationwide rejection of electronic transparency.
The House of Representatives has defended the retention of manual transmission as a “pragmatic safeguard” against unforeseen technical hitches. Deputy Spokesperson Philip Agbese emphasized that the move aims to prevent the disenfranchisement of rural communities where network stability remains a luxury. In a related development, former INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner Mike Igini raised a chilling alarm over the safety of presiding officers. He warned that if an official claims “no network” in an area where voters can clearly see signal bars on their phones, it could trigger immediate violence. Granted, the law mandates the electronic upload of Form EC8A, but the “manual fallback” effectively revives the spirit of the much-abused “Incident Form” from previous cycles.
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Notably, the civil society response has been led by former Education Minister Obiageli Ezekwesili, who described electronic transmission as the ultimate tool for “rigging-proofing” the 2027 polls. She argued that failure to embed mandatory e-transmission into law erodes public trust and perpetuates a system of excessive discretion. Above all, the “walkout” by opposition lawmakers during the bill’s consideration underscores a deep-seated fear that the 2027 elections are being “pre-managed” through legislative loopholes. Subsequently, the National Assembly has downplayed these protests as signs of a “vibrant legislature,” yet the underlying anxiety regarding result transparency continues to mount.
Finally, the 2026 Electoral Act represents a delicate, perhaps dangerous, compromise between technological ambition and political survival. The President’s preference for “human oversight” may sound like a retreat from the digital progress promised in the 2022 Act. Therefore, the burden of proof now rests on INEC to demonstrate that it can manage the 2027 tally without the “confusion” the President seeks to avoid. As a result of this legislative shift, other opposition movements must now prepare for a battleground where the manual tally remains the primary legal source. Accordingly, the quest for a truly transparent Nigerian democracy remains tethered to a system that still favors the pen over the portal.