A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has criticised Senate President Godswill Akpabio over his claim that the absence of mobile network services in nine states could hinder real-time electronic transmission of election results.
In a post on X, Momodu questioned the rationale behind citing network failure as a reason to weaken electronic transmission, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to engage telecommunications companies to address any connectivity challenges.
“Sir, name the nine states in which mobile networks are not working in Nigeria. Please, let INEC immediately contact and contract our telecoms giants to work earnestly in those regions,” Momodu wrote.
He dismissed the argument as outdated, insisting that technological limitations should no longer be used to justify electoral setbacks.
According to him, if high-speed internet services are available on aircraft flying at about 40,000 feet, Nigeria should be able to ensure reliable connectivity for elections.
Momodu further argued that suspending or diluting electronic transmission due to challenges in nine out of the country’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory would project Nigeria as a nation resigned to stagnation and decline.
His comments followed Akpabio’s remarks at a public forum on Electoral Act amendments, where the Senate President said insecurity had rendered mobile networks ineffective in about nine states.
“Real-time transmission of results means that in over nine states where networks are not working because of insecurity, there will be no election results,” Akpabio said, adding that a collapse of the national grid or network failure could disrupt the process.
