News
Nanya’s Death: Senate Urges FG to Mandate Anti-Venom Stocking in Hospitals
The Nigerian Senate has called on the Federal Government to urgently enforce the availability of snake anti-venoms and other life-saving antidotes in hospitals nationwide, following the tragic death of Abuja-based singer Ifunanya Nwangene, popularly known as Nanyah.Nwangene, a 26-year-old rising star who gained prominence after appearing on
The Voice Nigeria in 2021, died on January 31, 2026, after being bitten by a snake (reportedly a cobra) at her residence in Lugbe, Abuja. Reports indicate she was rushed to multiple hospitals but succumbed due to delays reportedly linked to the unavailability of anti-venom at the facilities.
Her death sparked widespread grief in Nigeria’s music community and renewed public concern over gaps in emergency medical preparedness.
On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, the Senate adopted a motion sponsored by Senator Idiat Oluranti Adebule (APC, Lagos West), titled “Urgent Need for the Federal and State Governments to Ensure Adequate Stocking, Availability, and Access to Life-Saving Antidotes and Emergency Medicines in Public and Private Hospitals Across Nigeria.
”Presenting the motion, Senator Adebule highlighted the rising incidence of medical emergencies in the country, including snakebites, scorpion stings, poisoning, drug overdoses, and other envenomations.
She emphasized that these cases demand immediate administration of specific antidotes to avert preventable fatalities, as tragically illustrated by Nwangene’s case.
Lawmakers described the incident as exposing serious deficiencies in emergency readiness, noting that many public and private hospitals either fail to stock essential antidotes like anti-venoms or maintain insufficient supplies, leading to treatment delays, patient referrals, and avoidable deaths.
In its resolutions, the Senate urged the Federal Ministry of Health to promptly develop and enforce national guidelines mandating minimum stock levels of snake anti-venoms, other critical antidotes, and emergency medicines in designated hospitals across the country.
The chamber further called on the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), to prioritize the procurement, quality assurance, proper storage, and nationwide distribution of safe, effective, and affordable anti-venoms—particularly in high-risk areas.
Additionally, the Senate directed state governments, through their Ministries of Health and Hospital Management Boards, to immediately audit public and private hospitals in their jurisdictions to verify compliance with antidote-stocking and emergency preparedness standards.
In a solemn moment, senators observed a minute’s silence in honor of the late Nanyah, paying tribute to her promising talent and life cut short at the age of 26.
News
PAACA Thumbs Up Protest over Senate’s Rejection of Electronic Transmission of Election Results
PACCA emphasised that the conversation should go beyond the election transmission of results to cover collation and more in depth involvement of political parties .
• Peter Obi address the protesters in front of the National Assembly
The Executive Director of the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA), Ezenwa Nwagwu, has described the protest around the transmission of election results in real-time as a step in the right direction.
Nwagwu made the declaration during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday.
“The current agitation that we have seen around the electoral act amendment is positive.
Positive in the sense that we have continued to ask for more and more citizen oversight over governance, over the activities of those who govern us,” he said.
PACCA emphasised that the conversation should go beyond the election transmission of results to cover collation and more in depth involvement of political parties
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has voiced strong concern over the Senate’s recent stance on the transmission of election results in the ongoing Electoral Act amendment process, warning that it is eroding public trust ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a press statement, the NGE described the Senate’s decision to retain non-mandatory provisions—similar to those in the 2022 Electoral Act—as a step backward that fosters doubt and mistrust in Nigeria’s electoral system.
The group highlighted widespread public outrage, noting that the position contradicts the demands of most Nigerians and many lawmakers for compulsory, real-time electronic transmission from polling units to INEC’s central server and collation centres.
The NGE emphasized that mandatory and immediate transmission has become a global standard for enhancing transparency, efficiency, accuracy, and voter confidence while reducing fraud and disputes.
At a time when other democracies are advancing digital reforms, Nigeria risks missing a key opportunity to strengthen electoral integrity and democratic governance, the statement said.
With the National Assembly set to harmonize positions between the Senate and House of Representatives tomorrow (February 10, 2026), the Guild called on lawmakers to approve mandatory real-time transmission in the final bill.
Anything less, it warned, would be out of step with progressive electoral practices and could further discourage voter participation while undermining confidence that votes will count.
The statement comes amid broader backlash following the Senate’s February 4 passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026, which rejected proposals for compulsory e-transmission, prompting criticism from civil society, opposition parties, labour unions, and other stakeholders.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the Nigerian Senate’s suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, ruling that the upper chamber acted within its constitutional powers.
In a judgment delivered on Monday, February 9, 2026, the appellate court affirmed the Senate’s authority to discipline its members, including through suspension.
However, the court set aside related contempt proceedings and vacated a ₦5 million fine previously imposed on the senator over a satirical apology she issued.
The decision partially resolves a protracted legal dispute stemming from the Senate’s six-month suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan in early 2025, following allegations of misconduct during plenary sessions.
The ruling comes amid ongoing appeals, with aspects of the case potentially headed to the Supreme Court as both sides have challenged lower court decisions.
In a separate development, President Bola Tinubu held a closed-door meeting last night (Sunday, February 8, 2026) with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The late-night talks, confirmed by presidency sources and reported across multiple outlets, focused on efforts to resolve the lingering political crisis in Rivers State.
The meeting is seen as a fresh intervention by the president to foster reconciliation between the governor and his predecessor, amid tensions that have disrupted governance in the oil-rich state.
Details of the discussions remain limited, but sources indicate Governor Fubara later accompanied Wike to his residence in Guzape, Abuja, signaling possible progress toward de-escalation.
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