The Senate Minority Caucus has dismissed reports that the National Assembly rejected electronic transmission of election results while passing the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, insisting that the provision remains intact.

The clarification followed widespread criticism and media reports suggesting lawmakers voted against electronic transmission and other electoral reforms, including a proposed 10-year ban on vote-buying.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio had earlier described such reports as misleading, maintaining that the upper chamber retained the electronic transmission framework contained in the 2022 Electoral Act.

Addressing journalists, former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the caucus considered it necessary to correct what he called a misrepresentation of proceedings during Wednesday’s plenary.

He stressed that the Senate did not at any point reject electronic transmission of results and only reaffirmed the existing legal provision guiding the process.

According to him, the bill passed by lawmakers supports electronic transfer of results as earlier established, a position he said was also clarified by the Senate President on the floor of the chamber.

Abaribe explained that extensive legislative work preceded the decision, including joint committee engagements between the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as consultations with the Independent National Electoral Commission and civil society organisations.

He noted that the committees held several retreats and public hearings, during which stakeholders agreed on the importance of electronic transmission as a key mechanism for improving electoral transparency.

Following the submission of the committee’s report, an ad hoc committee was constituted to review outstanding issues before the bill returned to plenary.

Its recommendations, he said, were discussed during a closed-door session and later adopted.

He added that confusion may have arisen during plenary due to movement and noise in the chamber, giving the impression that the provision had been rejected.

Abaribe further explained that the Senate is yet to adopt the votes and proceedings of the session, a procedural step required before harmonisation with the House of Representatives can begin.

According to him, a harmonisation committee will reconcile differences between both chambers’ versions of the bill and produce a unified document for presidential assent.

He emphasised that the final record must accurately reflect the Senate’s position on electronic transmission of election results.

The lawmaker also stated that the Senate retains the authority to manage its internal processes, including the decision to set up an ad hoc committee alongside the standing committee on electoral matters.

Abaribe maintained that senators across party lines support transparent elections and see electronic transmission as central to safeguarding credibility in the electoral process.

He concluded that harmonisation cannot proceed until the Senate formally adopts the votes and proceedings confirming the provision for electronic transmission, insisting that the final document must reflect the true outcome of deliberations.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has refused to admit a document presented by activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, which claimed that President Bola Tinubu once described former President Goodluck Jonathan as a “drunkard.”

Justice Mohammed Umar rejected the exhibit after the prosecution’s first witness, a Department of State Services (DSS) operative, distanced himself from the document and denied knowledge of its contents.

The witness, Mr Cyril Nosike, told the court during cross-examination by Sowore’s lawyer, Abubakar Marshal, that he was unaware of any instance where Tinubu made the alleged remarks about Jonathan.

Based on this, counsel to the DSS, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), objected to the document’s admissibility, arguing that it did not meet the requirements of the Evidence Act because the witness was not its author.

The court upheld the objection and declined to accept the document as evidence. A similar fate befell another document presented by the defence, which alleged that Tinubu had described former President Olusegun Obasanjo as “expired meat.”

During proceedings, the DSS operative avoided offering personal opinions on political matters. When asked whether corruption had ended in Nigeria, he said he could not respond, stressing that he was not in court to give opinions.

He also said he was not in a position to confirm whether corruption still existed in the country.

The witness further stated that he was unaware that the DSS dismissed 115 officers in December 2025 for alleged corruption, though he recalled an internal investigation leading to dismissals.

He also denied knowledge of reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had prosecuted former governors or that officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited were arrested over alleged fraud.

He maintained that his responsibilities focused strictly on national security matters within his mandate and that he was not part of processes related to disciplinary actions within the DSS.

Nosike also said he was not familiar with Nigeria’s position in global corruption rankings or Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.

When questioned about public allegations linking the President to various controversies, including claims circulating on social media, he said he had no knowledge of them.

Justice Umar adjourned the case until March 5 to allow the defence conclude its cross-examination.

Sowore is being prosecuted over a social media post in which he allegedly described President Tinubu as a “criminal.”

He faces a two-count amended charge under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.

The prosecution said the post, published on August 25, 2025, followed a statement by the President during an official visit to Brazil in which he claimed his administration had ended corruption in Nigeria.

Authorities argue that Sowore’s publication was capable of inciting public disorder and damaging the President’s reputation.
Sowore, who was first arraigned in December 2025 and re-arraigned in January, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Senate has passed the Electoral Bill 2026 after extensive debate, retaining electronic transmission of results but rejecting a proposal that would have made real-time uploading from polling units mandatory.

At the heart of the debate was Section 60 of the bill, which deals with the transmission of results.

Lawmakers voted against a recommendation that presiding officers must upload polling unit results instantly to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.

Instead, they maintained the existing provision in the 2022 Electoral Act, which allows results to be transmitted electronically after they are counted and publicly declared at the polling unit.

The decision sparked criticism from opposition parties, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which described the move as a setback for transparency and electoral credibility.

INEC also disclosed that it has completed work on the timetable for the 2027 general elections but cannot release it until the National Assembly concludes amendments to the Electoral Act.

The commission further announced plans for a nationwide verification of the voters’ register following the discovery of names of deceased persons and other irregularities.

Under the retained provisions, presiding officers must count votes at polling units, record results on official forms, announce them publicly and transmit them electronically to collation centres.

Copies are also to be given to party agents and security personnel where available, while offenders risk fines of up to N500,000 or at least six months’ imprisonment.

Senators who opposed real-time electronic transmission argued that poor network coverage and logistical constraints could lead to disputes and undermine confidence in the electoral process.

Senate spokesperson Adeyemi Adaramodu maintained that electronic transmission remains part of the law and that results will continue to be available through both digital and physical means.

Beyond the controversy over transmission, the Senate approved key changes to the electoral timetable.

The notice period for elections was reduced from 360 days to 180 days, while the deadline for submission of candidates’ lists was shortened from 120 days to 90 days.

The nomination window was also cut from 180 days to 90 days.

To curb electoral offences, the Senate increased the fine for unlawful possession of voter cards from N500,000 to N5 million but rejected a proposal for a 10-year ban on vote-buying, opting instead for stricter financial penalties.

The smart card reader was formally removed from the legal framework and replaced with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which remains the primary tool for voter verification.

Lawmakers also rejected a proposal to allow electronically generated voter identification, insisting on the continued use of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for accreditation.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio clarified that electronic transmission had not been removed from the law, stressing that retaining the provision ensures results will still be transmitted electronically as prescribed by INEC.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the delay in releasing the 2027 timetable was due to ongoing legislative amendments.

He assured Nigerians that the schedule would be unveiled in line with constitutional and legal requirements.

The commission also raised concerns about the integrity of the voters’ register, citing the presence of deceased individuals and discrepancies discovered after reviewing data from the Anambra off-cycle governorship election.

According to INEC, the planned verification exercise will remove dead voters, correct data errors and strengthen the credibility of the register ahead of the 2027 polls.

Reacting to the Senate’s decision, the PDP described the rejection of mandatory real-time transmission as disappointing and contrary to public expectations, insisting that direct electronic upload of polling unit results would enhance transparency and protect the electoral process.

Former Benue State Governor and ex-Senator, Gabriel Suswam, has officially resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), pointing to persistent internal conflicts and a lack of cohesion within the opposition party.

The resignation, communicated in a letter dated February 4, 2026, was addressed to the Chairman of the PDP in Mbagber Council Ward, Logo Local Government Area, and shared publicly on Facebook by Suswam’s Chief of Staff, Moses Ukeyima.

In his letter, Suswam explained that his decision was prompted by the party’s failure to resolve longstanding internal disputes affecting its leadership, structure, discipline, and ideological direction.

He wrote:

“I write to formally resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), effective from the date of this letter. This decision has not been taken lightly. For decades, the PDP provided me a platform to serve the Nigerian people—as a Member of the House of Representatives, Governor of Benue State, and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria—for which I remain sincerely grateful.

“However, the party that once symbolised cohesion, internal democracy, and progressive opposition has, regrettably, become plagued by persistent and unresolved internal conflicts. These disputes, spanning leadership, structure, discipline, and ideology, have been allowed to fester without any credible pathway to resolution.”

Suswam noted that repeated attempts at reconciliation had failed, leaving him unable to align his personal convictions with the party’s current state.

He added:

“I believe that political parties must serve as platforms for ideas, discipline, and constructive engagement—not arenas of endless internal warfare. Regrettably, the current state of affairs within the PDP no longer aligns with these ideals.”

He expressed hope that the PDP would eventually overcome its internal crises and find stability, while affirming his decision to step aside from the party.

As of the time of reporting, the PDP leadership had yet to issue a response to Suswam’s resignation.

Former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Force, Abdulrasheed Maina, has been hospitalised in Abuja after he reportedly collapsed on Tuesday while trying to access his office.

The incident was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by his media assistant, Emmanuel Ekwe, who said the collapse was caused by complications arising from an untreated knee injury.

According to Ekwe, the injury caused Maina to lose his balance, leading to a fall in which he hit his head on a staircase.

“Dr Abdulrasheed Maina slumped on the evening of Tuesday, February 3, 2026, while attempting to access his office premises. The incident followed complications from an untreated knee injury, which caused him to lose balance and fall, resulting in his head hitting the staircase,” the statement said.

He added that medical personnel immediately administered first aid before rushing Maina to a private hospital in Abuja for urgent treatment.
Ekwe noted that Maina is currently under close medical observation, with doctors monitoring his condition.

“Following a preliminary medical assessment, one of the attending doctors advised that arrangements for an air ambulance medical evacuation be considered should his condition fail to stabilise within a short period,” he said.

The family, according to the statement, has appealed for privacy and prayers as treatment continues, adding that further updates would be communicated as necessary.

Maina is a central figure in Nigeria’s pension reform controversy, having headed the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms before being prosecuted over allegations of large-scale pension fraud.

In November 2021, a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted him of money laundering involving N2.1bn in pension funds and sentenced him to eight years’ imprisonment.

The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction and sentence in May 2023.

Despite the ruling, Maina was released from the Kuje Correctional Centre in February 2025 after benefiting from statutory remission for good conduct, with authorities explaining that his sentence was calculated from his initial arrest in October 2019.

Since his release, he has largely stayed out of public view, though developments surrounding him continue to attract public attention due to the magnitude of the pension scandal.