Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has dismissed claims that some parts of Nigeria lack network coverage, insisting that real-time electronic transmission of election results is feasible across the country.
Speaking on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, amid growing calls for the National Assembly to pass the Electoral Act amendment with mandatory e-transmission, Obi said the excuse of poor network is no longer tenable in 2026.
“There is virtually no state in Nigeria without network coverage today. Even in the most remote areas, mobile phones work. The technology is available. What is lacking is the political will to make electronic transmission compulsory and transparent,” Obi stated.
His comment comes as civil society groups, opposition parties, and youth movements continue to mount pressure on the National Assembly to ensure the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill includes mandatory real-time transmission of polling unit results to INEC’s IReV portal without discretionary fallback to manual collation.
Obi added: “Electronic transmission is not rocket science. It is about transparency and trust in our electoral process. We cannot keep using network as an excuse when even rural communities now use mobile money and social media daily.”
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The former Anambra governor’s intervention has further amplified the #NoTransmissionNoSleep protest currently ongoing at the National Assembly gates, where demonstrators have been sleeping on mattresses since earlier this week to demand the passage of the bill in its strongest form.
Background The Senate passed the Electoral Act amendment bill last week, but critics argue the version still gives INEC too much discretion in cases of “technical failure,” which they fear could open the door to result manipulation at collation centres.
With the House of Representatives yet to pass its version, the conference committee is expected to harmonize the two bills in the coming weeks.
By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
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