By Kingston Magare 17.2.2026
Mobile telecommunications companies in Nigeria have disputed the Nigerian Senate’s claims there is not enough network coverage in the country to support electronic transmission of the 2027 election results.
According to the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators in Nigeria, ALTON representing firms like Globacom, MTN, Airtel and T2 Mobile, the Nigerian Senate is not being truthful in their claims.
ALTON chairman Gbenga Adebayo in an interview with the Vanguard said the data supplied by the Senate Majority Leader Bamidele Opeyemi and Senate president Godswill Akpabio to make the claim is unreliable and incorrect.
“Upon which survey or statistics is the Senate coming up with its position of inadequate telecom infrastructure? As we speak today, over 70% of the country is covered with 3G and 4G, and 5G have about 11% coverage and the rest is 2G,” Engineer Adebayo said.
“Even in reality, 2G is strong enough to transmit results electronically. I do not know where the Senate is getting its information, but we can’t take that blanket ban on electronic transmission based on a half-truth about our infrastructure and investments.
“We agree that there are just maybe about two states that, due to insurgency, that our members cannot risk going to maintain facilities. But that is what all stakeholders can sit together and decide how to cover those places. It’s not enough to say the country is not ready for electronic transmission.’’
In 2023 the Independent National Electoral Commission uploaded results on its iREV result viewing portal from most parts of the country.