Category Nigeria News

Protesters on Monday converged on the entrance of the National Assembly in Abuja for the “Occupy National Assembly” protest.

The protest is against the backdrop of the Senate’s position on the electronic transmission of election results.

There was a heavy security presence at the scene, with personnel drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.



READ ALSO: Electoral Act Amendment Bill Passes Third Reading, Senate Retains Existing Provision On Result Transmission

Although the Senate has issued several clarifications over reports that it rejected electronic transmission of results, the protesters insist that lawmakers must be explicit by including the phrase “real-time electronic transmission” in the proposed legislation.

Members of civil society organisations, a handful of opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) members, and some women’s groups are gathered at the entrance of the National Assembly for the protest.

The police barricaded the entrance to the National Assembly.

Some members of the civil society groups, who spoke to Channels Television, disclosed that the protesters do not intend to enter the National Assembly premises, as the protest is expected to take place mainly at the entrance.

The protesters began their march from the Federal Secretariat, heading towards the National Assembly gate.

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, joined the Occupy National Assembly protest.

Obi, who is now a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said the Senate must prevent the kind of glitches that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reported in 2023, and make real-time electronic transmission of results mandatory.

Electoral Bill passage

There has been an outrage after the Senate last week passed the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026 through the third reading.

In passing the bill, the upper chamber, however, did not approve the proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the bill, which sought to make the electronic transmission of election results mandatory.

The rejected provision would have required presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit results from each polling unit to the IREV portal in real time, after the prescribed Form EC&A had been signed and stamped by the presiding officer and countersigned by candidates.

Instead, the Senate adopted the existing provision of the Electoral Act, which states that “the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”

‘We didn’t reject electronic transmission’

Following the reactions that trailed the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026 through the third reading, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has explained the upper chamber’s position.

According to Akpabio, the Senate did not reject the electronic transmission of election results but merely retained the provision as contained in the 2022 Electoral Act.

Speaking at a book launch at the weekend, the Senate President explained that electronic transmission of results remains permissible, but the phrase “real time” was removed from the provision.

“All we said during discussion was that we should remove the word ‘real-time’ because if you say real-time, then there is a network or grid failure and the network is not working. 
When you go to court, somebody will say it ought to have been real-time. That was all we said,” he said.

He emphasised that the decision was taken to grant the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the flexibility to determine the appropriate mode of result transmission, taking into account technological and security challenges.

‘Don’t decide for INEC’

Reacting to Akpabio’s position, former Senate President David Mark said the National Assembly should allow the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to decide whether or not to transmit election results electronically.

He added that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) fully supports the electronic transmission of election results.

Emergency plenary

Meanwhile, the Senate on Sunday announced that it will hold an emergency plenary session on Tuesday, February 10, 2026.

In a notice sent by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, the lawmakers were directed to convene at the National Assembly complex on the instruction of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Odo urged all senators to attend the emergency sitting.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Foreign Affairs, Ademola Oshodi, has called for more efforts to project Nigeria’s positive image globally.

Oshodi made the call while reacting to the allegation that the President Bola Tinubu administration spent about $9 million to hire lobbyists in Washington.

READ ALSO: Peter Obi Knocks FG Over Alleged $9m US Lobbying Deal

Speaking on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, the presidential aide warned that failure to properly project Nigeria’s image internationally could pose a serious national security threat.

“I don’t think the government is doing enough to ensure we get our information and narrative out there,” he said.

“It’s important that we get the right message. We don’t want a misconception that it (insecurity) is a massive killing of Christians, with attention focused only on Christians,” Oshodi added.

He also noted that the narrative around insecurity must be properly framed to avoid misinterpretation.

“We don’t want a situation where people feel banditry is political rather than economic,” he said.

“We also don’t want a situation where West Africans see what is happening in Nigeria as an opportunity to create chaos from our borders,” he added.

Speaking further, the presidential aide emphasised that narrative management was critical.

“If it is not done right, it could be a huge national security threat, apart from the fact that people go on social media and misrepresent the government’s position,” Oshodi said.

Better Prosperity Near Future

He also urged Nigerians to be more understanding and patient, noting that those who disagree with the government had the opportunity to express their views through democratic means.

“Nigerians should be more understanding and patient. If they disagree with the government, there is an election coming up, and we are in a democracy,” he said.

Oshodi maintained that most Nigerians understand what the government is doing and expressed optimism about the country’s future.

“I believe that the majority of Nigerians understand what the government is doing for the betterment of the country, and we will see better prosperity in the near future,” he said.

He also said the government was fortunate that the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, had the opportunity to clarify several issues about Nigeria during interviews with the American press.

“She granted interviews to the American media, apart from US President Donald Trump mentioning her as a very respectable woman,” Oshodi said.

President Bola Tinubu has met with General Dagvin Anderson, Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), alongside senior American and Nigerian security officials at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The AFRICOM delegation visited on Sunday, highlighting the ongoing cooperation between the two countries on defense and security issues.

The high-level meeting was attended by Nigeria’s top security leadership, including the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd); the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; and the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu.

READ ALSO: Shettima To Chair National Economic Council On Monday

Also present were the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed; the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Tosin Ajayi; and the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lieutenant-General Emmanuel Uandiandeye.

The American delegation included the United States Charge d’Affaires in Nigeria, Keith Heffern; AFRICOM’s Senior Foreign Policy Adviser, Ambassador Peter Vrooman; and the Command Senior Enlisted Leader of AFRICOM, Command Sergeant Major Garric M. Banfield.

Although details of the discussions were not disclosed, the meeting comes amid strengthening security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.

This cooperation aligns with Nigeria’s ongoing counterterrorism operations in the North-East and North-West, as well as wider regional stability concerns across West Africa.

See more photos below:

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has faulted Senate President Godswill Akpabio over the Electoral Act Amendment Bill controversy and is calling for his removal. 

Okonkwo spoke on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, aired on Channels Television on Sunday.

“What it means is that Senator Godswill Akpabio has become an enemy of democracy and is sticking to the vicious cycle of election rigging, manipulation, falsification, and subterfuge by trying to maintain the same provision that the Supreme Court told you that if you do, you are an enemy of democracy,” he said.

“That man is an enemy of democracy and should be removed if he doesn’t resign.”

READ ALSO: Iyabo Obasanjo Confirms Membership In APC

The Electoral Act amendment bill passed the third reading at the Senate last week.

Clause 60 (30) of the Electoral Amendment Bill is connected with the electronic transmission of results. On Wednesday, the Senate retained the provision for the electronic transfer of results as contained in the 2022 Electoral Act.

The Red Chamber rejected moves for the real-time transmission of results and a 10-year ban on vote-buyers. It instead retained the sanctions of jail terms and fines.

Watch the interview below: 

The Senate will hold an emergency plenary session on Tuesday, February 10, 2026.

In a notice sent by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, the lawmakers were directed to convene at the National Assembly complex on the instruction of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

“I am directed by His Excellency, the President of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, GCON, to inform all Distinguished Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that an Emergency Sitting of the Senate has been scheduled to hold as follows: Date: Tuesday, 10th February, 2026. Time:12:00 Noon. Venue: Senate Chamber,” the notice read.

Odo urged all senators to attend the emergency sitting.

“All inconveniences this will cause to Distinguished Senators are highly regretted, please,” the memo read.

No reason was stated for the meeting, but the development comes amid debates about the e-transmission of election results after the Electoral Act amendment bill passed the third reading at the Senate. The lawmakers had adjourned plenary after then.

READ ALSO: NLC Threatens Protests Over ‘Confusion’ In Electronic Election Rules

Clause 60 (30) of the Electoral Amendment Bill is connected with the electronic transmission of results. On Wednesday, the Senate retained the provision for the electronic transfer of results as contained in the 2022 Electoral Act. 

The Red Chamber rejected moves for the real-time transmission of results and a 10-year ban on vote-buyers. It instead retained the sanctions of jail terms and fines. 

Since the development, the Senate has come under fire. However, some of its members have clarified that the bill enjoyed the support of a majority of the senators. 

“Over 85 per cent of senators agreed to electronic transmission. It was common ground. Even the ad hoc committee of the Senate agreed to it,” the Senator representing Anambra Central, Victor Umeh, told Channels Television.

According to Umeh, the only modification agreed to during the executive session was the removal of the phrase “in real time”. He attributed this to concerns about possible network challenges in some areas.

The Anambra lawmaker said confusion arose during plenary when a motion was reportedly moved to replace the word “transmission” with “transfer” without debate.

“It was only ‘real time’ that was expunged because of network issues. Transmission itself was never in dispute.

At least 30 people have been killed in a tragic road accident that occurred early Sunday at Kwanar Barde, in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State, according to local officials.

The fatal crash involved a trailer travelling towards Gujungu, which reportedly lost control due to reckless driving. Many other passengers sustained serious injuries and are receiving treatment in hospitals across the state.

Confirming the incident, the Kano State Government’s spokesperson said, “The fatal accident involved a trailer heading towards Gujungu, which allegedly crashed due to reckless driving, leading to the death of over 30 persons, while many others sustained serious injuries.”

Reacting to the tragedy, Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives, describing the incident as heartbreaking.

“This incident is a great loss, not only to the affected families but to the entire people of Kano State,” the governor said in a statement issued on Sunday by his spokesperson, Sunusi Bature.

READ ALSO: Six Dead, 23 Injured In Lagos–Ibadan Expressway Crash

Governor Yusuf offered prayers for the deceased and their families, saying, “I pray for the repose of the souls of the departed and ask Allah to grant their families the strength to bear this painful loss.”

He also wished those injured a speedy recovery.

In response to the scale of the tragedy, the governor ordered immediate intervention by relevant government agencies. “The Kano State Ministry of Health has been directed to ensure that all victims admitted in hospitals receive free and adequate medical care without delay,” the statement said.

The governor instructed the Office of the Special Adviser on Humanitarian Affairs to assess the situation and provide necessary support to the families of the victims.

Governor Yusuf also used the occasion to caution motorists, particularly drivers of heavy-duty vehicles, to adhere strictly to traffic regulations.

“Reckless driving must be avoided at all costs to prevent the recurrence of such devastating incidents,” he warned.