The recap of top 10 key latest happenings that you might have missed this Tuesday evening, 17th February, 2026
Senate passes Electoral Act Amendment Bill after row over e-transmission
The Senate on Tuesday passed the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2026, following tense deliberations and a contentious debate over Clause 60.
The upper chamber resumed proceedings with a demand for a division on Clause 60 raised by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC/Abia South), prompting a rowdy session.
As reported by Channels TV, Senate President Godswill Akpabio stated that he believed the demand had been previously withdrawn, but several opposition senators immediately objected.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, citing Order 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, argued that it would be out of order to revisit any provision already ruled on by the Senate President.
The submission sparked another uproar in the chamber, during which Senator Sunday Karimi briefly confronted Abaribe.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele reminded lawmakers that he had sponsored the motion for rescission, underscoring that prior decisions by the Senate were no longer valid.
Health ministry orders immediate retirement of longstanding directors
The Federal Ministry of Health has ordered an immediate disengagement of Directors who have spent at least eight years in the directorate cadre with immediate effect.
The directors affected include those in the ministry, federal hospitals, agencies, among others, according to a memo sighted by our correspondent in Abuja on Tuesday morning.
On Monday, The PUNCH exclusively reported that the Federal Government directed all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to enforce the eight-year tenure limit for directors and permanent secretaries, following a new deadline set through the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
The memo announcing the enforcement of the order at the FMOH signed by the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Health, Tetshoma Dafeta, reads,
“Further to the Eight (8)-Year Tenure Policy of the Federal Public Service, which mandates the compulsory retirement of Directors after eight years in that rank, as provided in the Revised Public Service Rules 2021(PSR 020909) copy attached, I am directed to remind you to take necessary action to ensure that all affected officers who have spent eight years as Directors, effective 31st December, 2025, are disengaged from Service immediately.
Six die, two injured in Ogun tanker crash — FRSC
A multiple crash which occurred around 8 am at Old Toll Gate, Ota, along Lagos-Abeokuta expressway on Tuesday has reportedly led to the loss of six people, leaving two injured.The crash involved an articulated vehicle with registration EKY 913 YH and two other vehicles.
The articulated vehicle, a tanker carrying vegetable oil, reportedly suffered break failure after which the driver lost control and rammed into people standing by, killing six and injuring two others.
The spokesperson of the state sector command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Afolabi Odunsi-Oyewole, disclosed this in a statement sent to journalists on Tuesday.
Osuntokun cautions El-Rufai over ‘transferred aggression’ against Ribadu
Mr. Akin Osuntokun has cautioned former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, against directing “devious transferred aggression” at Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser.
Osuntokun, a former Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), issued the caution in a statement on Tuesday.
He described El-Rufai’s recent public comments about Ribadu as “a dangerous obsession” lacking justification.
“What is happening now on the part of El-Rufai is a devious transferred aggression and dangerous obsession with Ribadu,” he said.
Minority lawmakers stage walkout over approval of manual collation of results as backup
Minority members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday staged a dramatic walkout from plenary in protest against the passage of key provisions in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2025, accusing the majority of pushing partisan interests ahead of electoral integrity.
The protest followed the adoption of Clause 60(3), which provides for both real-time electronic transmission and manual transmission of election results, as well as Clause 84, which prescribes modes of candidate nomination by political parties.
The House had earlier rescinded its December 2025 passage of the amendment bill to address identified inconsistencies before recommitting it to the Committee of the Whole for clause-by-clause consideration.
However, deliberations quickly turned contentious.
e-Transmission: Amaechi, opposition leaders merely grandstanding – Wike
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has launched a scathing critique against some opposition figures, accusing them of “grandstanding” and “deception” over their recent participation in protests for electronic transmission of election results.
Delivering a Distinguished Personality Lecture on Tuesday at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Abuja, titled “The Impact of Political Leadership on Infrastructural Development in Nigeria: Between Dividends of Democracy and Good Governance,” Wike made a veiled ridicule of a former Governor of Rivers State, Mr Rotimi Amaechi who appeared at the protest line with his son, a medical doctor.
Peter Obi condemns tear-gassing of citizens demanding free, fair elections
Former presidential candidate and political leader, Mr. Peter Obi, has condemned the recent tear-gassing of citizens in Nigeria who were peacefully advocating for free, fair, and credible elections.
In a statement shared on his Facebook page on Tuesday, Obi lamented that the actions of security forces have turned those who once claimed to champion democracy into what he described as “destroyers of our democracy and the worst enemies of good governance.”
Obi called on Nigerians to resist “continued evil plans” and to unite in safeguarding the nation’s democratic future.
He stressed the need for transparency in elections, urging the implementation of real-time, mandatory electronic transmission of polling unit results to build trust in the electoral process.
No health reform can succeed in Nigeria without royal fathers – Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday said no health reform will succeed in Nigeria without the active participation of traditional rulers.
The President stated this in his remarks at the National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health at the Conference Centre, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
President Tinubu said his presence at the summit was to give meaning to their gathering, adding that the war against preventable diseases is everyone’s responsibility.
“And I’m here as a leader to respectfully say that the responsibility is yours as traditional leaders.
We’ve listened to this statement of commitment.
It is with great honor for me to have listened to you carefully making this commitment to improve the health quality of Nigerians in your domains.
Wire-tapping: Fani-Kayode raises concerns over national security and public statements
Former Minister of Aviation and Culture, Chief Oluwafemi Fani-Kayode, has expressed concerns over national security risks in a recent essay published on his social media platforms.
In the essay, Fani-Kayode addressed comments made by former Kaduna State Governor and ex-FCT Minister, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, regarding access to sensitive communications within the Office of the President’s National Security Advisor.
He emphasized that public statements about such matters could raise security concerns and underscored the importance of discretion, accountability, and responsible conduct by public officials.
Police dislodge terrorists’ camps, recover rifles, drugs in Kaduna
The Kaduna State Police Command says it has dislodged several bandits’ camps, recovered hard drugs and ruffles.
The command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Mansir Hassan, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Kaduna.
Hassan said about 17 suspected bandits were arrested during a major clearance operation, across four Local Government Areas of the state.
He said the operations which were conducted from Feb. 10 to 13, targeted suspected hideouts in Kajuru, Tafa, Igabi and Kauru local government areas.
“During the operation, several bandits’ camps were dislodged through fierce exchange of fire.
