Compilations of top 10 key latest stories that you need to know this Monday morning, 9th February, 2026
Electoral Act standoff: Senate calls emergency plenary as protests loom
The Senate has announced an emergency plenary sitting for Tuesday amid mounting public outrage over its recent passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, particularly the rejection of a clause mandating real-time electronic transmission of election results.
The decision was disclosed on Sunday in a statement signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, who said all senators have been directed to reconvene for the session.
“The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has directed the reconvening of plenary for an emergency sitting on Tuesday, February 10th, 2026,” the statement read.According to the notice, the emergency plenary will commence at 12 noon.
This comes as the Nigeria Labour Congress warned of potential nationwide protests and election boycotts over what it described as confusion and contradictory positions by the Senate on amendments to the Electoral Act, particularly regarding electronic transmission of election results.
Why APC has not officially welcomed Fubara — Chairman
The All Progressives Congress has explained why the newly-defected Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has not yet been officially welcomed into the party.
Speaking on TVC on Sunday, APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, said the delay is part of a strategic plan to manage regional sensitivities, particularly in northern states.
Explaining the party’s schedule of formal receptions, Yilwatda said,
“We have Kano we’re preparing for.
When you’re dealing in politics, we opted to clear the north first because Ramadan is coming and most of the people in the north are Muslims.
“We have a lot of communities in the north that are sensitive to the issue of Ramadan.
So we pleaded that we clear the northern governors who have to come to the APC first before going to the south, where we don’t have Ramadan as an issue.”
He emphasised that the delay has nothing to do with Fubara lacking authority.
Makinde, Wike camps set for showdown at PDP HQ today
The planned reopening of the Peoples Democratic Party national secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Abuja, by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike-backed caretaker committee through police intervention on Monday has sparked concerns over potential confrontations.
On Thursday, the national secretary of the Wike-backed PDP faction, Samuel Anyanwu, speaking after a closed-door meeting at the Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters, said the faction would take over the national secretariat on Monday.
The crisis over the PDP national secretariat takeover stems from a long-running power struggle between the Tanimu Turaki (SAN) faction, backed by governors, including Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, and the 13-member caretaker committee set up by the Wike-backed faction.
Turaki is laying claim to the legitimacy of the PDP national convention held in Ibadan on November 15, 2025, which has, however, been overturned by the ruling of the Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Ghana recalls envoy to Nigeria over alleged electoral malpractice
The Government of Ghana has recalled its High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mohammed Ahmed, following allegations linking him to electoral malpractice during a party primary election in Ghana.
The recall was ordered by President John Mahama and announced in a presidential statement issued on Saturday.
According to the statement, the directive took immediate effect, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs instructed to carry out the necessary diplomatic and administrative processes.
The decision was connected to allegations of voter inducement and vote-buying during the National Democratic Congress parliamentary primary in the Ayawaso East Constituency.
Not all electricity meters are free, NERC clarifies
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has clarified that not all electricity meters currently being installed across the country are free, as it sought to address growing confusion over the Federal Government’s metering programmes and recent warnings against illegal charges by electricity distribution companies.
The Chairman of NERC, Musiliu Oseni, made the clarification on Saturday during a radio chat with Adeola Samuel-Ilori on Fresh FM, explaining that meters provided under government-funded initiatives are free at the point of installation, while other options still exist for customers who are unable or unwilling to wait.
Oseni said meters supplied under the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme, known as DISREP, are fully funded by the Federal Government and must be provided to customers at no cost, but those who felt the deployment was taking too long could pay for the product under the MAP scheme.
“The meter provided by the government is 100 per cent free. The DISREP meter is free because it is paid for by the government.
Nigeria not lacking in talent — Peter Obi
Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said Nigeria is not lacking in talent but has suffered for years from leadership failure that has prevented citizens from reaching their full potential.
In a statement on Monday via his official X (formerly Twitter), Obi said his attention was drawn to Nigeria’s vast potential as he prepared to watch the Super Bowl — the National Football League’s championship game — featuring the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
According to him, the presence of Nigerian-born players and those of Nigerian heritage on one of the world’s biggest sporting stages was a reminder of what Nigerians could achieve when provided with the right environment to succeed.
I’ve no rift with Oshiomhole — Tenebe
Contrary to reports, the Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Jarret Tenebe, yesterday, said he has no issues with a national leader of the party, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, insisting that Governor Monday Okpebholo remains the leader of the party in the state.
Speaking to journalists at his residence in Benin City, Tenebe said the party would hold rancour-free ward, local government and state congresses, assuring that he would emerge as the chairman of the party in the state to begin his term, having completed that of his predecessor, Col. David Imuse (rtd), who resigned to contest the 2024 governorship election.
The APC chairman also explained how the party would deliver 3.5 million votes to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election, saying the party was massively mobilising people to register as members and also participate in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Continuous Voters Registration.
Police arrest suspect over death of gospel singer, 3 others in Ajah musical studio
The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a suspect following the deaths of a gospel artiste and three others, who were found lifeless inside a music studio in Ajah, Lagos State.
The victims—gospel artiste Matthew Ogundele, Itunu Ogundele, Joseph Sanya, and blogger Matthew Awosanya, popularly known as JoesTv—were discovered on Wednesday inside a studio located within the HFP Shopping Complex, Abraham Adesanya axis of Ajah.
Responding to Vanguard on Sunday, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said the case, initially reported at the Ajah Police Division, had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, for further investigation.
China-bound auto parts dealer excretes 95 wraps of cocaine — NDLEA
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested 62-year-old Lagos-based businessman Nwabueze Nicholas Izueke at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, while attempting to travel to China with 95 jumbo cocaine wraps weighing 1.589 kilograms concealed in his stomach.
The arrest occurred on Saturday, 31 January 2026, during passenger clearance for Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 to China via Addis Ababa.
“When taken for a body scan, he tested positive for ingesting illicit drugs and was promptly placed under excretion observation. While under observation, he expelled 95 pellets in seven excretions,” NDLEA stated.
Izueke, who claims to run a clothing and auto parts business in Lagos, admitted trafficking cocaine to raise funds to complete a country home in Iwollo, Enugu State.
Manufacturers record N1.8trn unsold goods as demand slumps
Despite signs of improving macroeconomic indicators published by the Federal Government, the latest financial results of Nigeria’s manufacturing sector have indicated that significant pressures persist.
Financial Vanguard’s findings show that the manufacturers have continued to grapple with rising inventories (unsold goods) littering warehouses along with swelling stockpiles of raw materials, exposing deep inflationary constraints, foreign-exchange and credit pressures that continue to weigh on industry performance.
Leading manufacturing firms, in the first nine months of 2025 (9M’25), recorded combined inventories increase of N200 billion, rising to about N1.8 trillion from N1.6 trillion recorded in the corresponding period of 2024 (9M’24), representing an increase of about 18.8 per cent.
Over the same period, raw materials inventories climbed by about 15.4 per cent to nearly N1.5 trillion.
