News
Senate to Hold Emergency Plenary Sitting on Tuesday Amid Electoral Reform Backlash
The Nigerian Senate will convene an emergency plenary sitting on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 12:00 noon, following intense public criticism of its recent decision on electoral amendments.
In a statement issued on Sunday, February 8, 2026, Clerk of the Senate Emmanuel Odo announced that Senate President Godswill Akpabio had directed the immediate reconvening of the chamber. The notice called on all senators to attend the special session in the Senate Chamber.
The emergency meeting follows widespread outrage over the Senate’s February 4 passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill 2026.
During the third reading, lawmakers rejected a proposed amendment to Clause 60(3) that would have required presiding officers to transmit polling unit results electronically in real time directly to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
Instead, the Senate retained the existing provision from the 2022 Electoral Act, which gives INEC discretionary power to electronically transfer results only after votes are counted and publicly announced at polling units.
The decision has drawn strong condemnation from civil society organizations, opposition leaders including Peter Obi, election monitoring groups, and bodies such as the Nigerian Bar Association.
Critics argue the move weakens electoral transparency, increases the risk of manipulation, and sets back progress ahead of the 2027 general elections. Protests have been announced outside the National Assembly starting Monday to pressure the Senate to reconsider, with some stakeholders indicating possible legal action.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has defended the chamber’s position, stating over the weekend that the Senate did not reject electronic transmission of results.
He explained that lawmakers only removed the mandatory real-time requirement due to practical challenges, including network issues in insecure areas affecting several states, while preserving the overall electronic transmission framework used in past elections.
Akpabio added that the Senate would not be swayed by intimidation and emphasized that the legislative process on the bill remains active.
The official agenda for Tuesday’s session has not been made public, but it is widely expected to address the controversy, respond to public pressure, and possibly revisit elements of the disputed clause in light of calls for stronger electoral safeguards.
News
PFIPC: Adeyemi should be prosecuted – ICPC chairman
President Tinubu had on July 7, mandated the ICPC to investigate the matter and submit its report within 30 days.
• State House Photo:The Chairman of the ICPC, Musa Adamu Aliyu, submit an interim report of its investigation on PFIPC, to President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, August 6,2026
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has urged the Federal Government to prosecute the Director -General of the fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew.
The Chairman of the ICPC, Musa Adamu Aliyu, made the call on Thursday when he submitted an interim report of its investigation into the controversy surrounding the existence of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) .
As part of the recommendations, the ICPC boss said Mr Adeyemi should be prosecuted, while administrative sanctions should be imposed on public officers “whose acts of omissions, negligence, facilitated the illegal operation of the council because our investigation found that some public officers failed to do due diligence.”
President Tinubu had on July 7, mandated the ICPC to investigate the matter and submit its report within 30 days.
Submitting the report, the ICPC chairman said that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council “was never established by any law or executive order or other instrument of government, and the appointment letter presented by Adeyemi Matthew was completely forged alongside similar documents used to perpetuate the illegal activities of the fake agency.”
“What we discovered was that the office used by the fake agency was broken into. The lock was broken, and he had access to the office. That was how he was able to get inside that office, and also the false widespread impersonation and wide range of illegal activities were perpetrated by the fake DG or the fake agency, Adeyemi.”
He emphasised that public officers should also be sanctioned, because “They failed to adhere with the standard procedures that are supposed to be complied with in their ministries and departments, and that gave Adeyemi Matthew the opportunity to conduct this illegal act.
“Then institutional reform has also been recommended that there is need for institutional reform so that the internal control of the MDAs can be strengthened to block this kind of illegal activity.”
News
PSC hands over 50,000 newly recruited constables to police for training
Receiving the recruits on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, DIG Isyaku Mohammed, who oversees the Force Training and Development Department, commended the commission for conducting what he described as a transparent recruitment exercise.
• IGP Tunji Disu
The Police Service Commission on Thursday formally handed over 50,000 newly recruited police constables to the Nigeria Police Force for training.
A statement issued on Thursday by the commission’s spokesperson, Torty Kalu, said the handover was presided over by retired Justice Paul Galumje, Commissioner I.
The statement said the recruitment exercise was conducted in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu and relevant statutory provisions.
Galumje thanked the President for his support of the recruitment process and formally presented the successful candidates to the Nigeria Police Force for training at designated police colleges and other approved institutions.
He also handed over the detailed list of successful candidates, contained in a flash drive, to the police authorities.
Receiving the recruits on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, DIG Isyaku Mohammed, who oversees the Force Training and Development Department, commended the commission for conducting what he described as a transparent recruitment exercise.
News
Kogi vigilantes clash leaves eight dead
Chairman of Lokoja Local Government Area, Abdullahi Adamu, confirmed the incident, clarifying that the violence was not a bandit attack on the affected communities.
• One of the dead victims / Ohibaba image
At least eight people have been killed following a violent clash between local vigilante members and Fulani vigilantes in the villages of Abugi, Mikugi, and Gudanchi, all located in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The violence which erupted on Thursday, has thrown residents of Abugi and surrounding communities into panic.
Sources said the crisis began after a confrontation between a member of the local vigilante group and his counterparts from the Fulani vigilante group.
The disagreement reportedly escalated when one of the men allegedly opened fire, killing the other instantly.
The killing triggered a series of reprisal attacks, with the death toll rising to at least eight as of the time of this report.
The exact number of those injured is yet to be confirmed.
Chairman of Lokoja Local Government Area, Abdullahi Adamu, confirmed the incident, clarifying that the violence was not a bandit attack on the affected communities.
The council chairman said security agencies had been briefed and promised to provide further details as investigations progress.
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