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Electoral act: Obi joins protest at National Assembly

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Peter Obi, presidential candidate of labour party in fhe 2023 election, on Monday joined other demonstrators at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja to protest the Senate’s decision to remove “real-time” electronic transmission of election results from the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

The protest, tagged “Occupy the National Assembly,” was organised by members of the Obidient Movement and pro-democracy activists, who described the lawmakers’ action as a deliberate attempt to undermine electoral transparency ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Last week, the Senate passed the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill, 2026, through third reading. A major point of contention in the amended bill is the deletion of the phrase “real-time” in provisions dealing with the electronic transmission of election results—a move critics say weakens safeguards against manipulation.

Although the Senate has since issued multiple clarifications insisting it did not reject electronic transmission outright, protesters argue that the absence of the words “real-time electronic transmission” creates room for abuse and post-poll interference.

Chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Our votes must count,” “No to electoral robbery” and “Protect democracy now,” the demonstrators marched from the Federal Secretariat towards the National Assembly.

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However, they were prevented from gaining access to the complex by a heavy deployment of security personnel drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. Security operatives barricaded the main entrance, forcing the protesters to hold their demonstration outside the gates.

Addressing journalists at the protest ground, Obi condemned what he described as the steady erosion of democratic gains in the country, warning that credible elections remain the foundation of national stability and development.

“We must dismantle this criminality and prove that we are now a nation that shows light in Africa,” he charged.

He urged the National Assembly to enact laws mandating electronic transmission of election results.

“The danger was clear. We have suffered the danger. That’s what we have suffered before. We don’t want any glitch again. This is finished. We want things to come back to normal. No more glitch,” the former Anambra governor said.

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Obi’s appearance at the protest further galvanised the crowd, many of whom view him as a symbol of the 2023 youth-driven political awakening that challenged Nigeria’s traditional political order.

The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, said the agitation would continue until the National Assembly explicitly restores real-time electronic transmission of results in the amended law.

“If there is no electronic transmission of results, there will be no election. Our elections must be credible,” he said.

Tanko argued that past elections had been marred by manual interference during result collation, a problem electronic transmission was meant to address following reforms introduced after the 2011 and 2015 elections.

Nigeria’s electoral reforms gained momentum after the contentious 2007 general elections, widely adjudged as flawed. The introduction of card readers in 2015 and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in 2022 were hailed as significant steps toward transparency, though implementation challenges persisted.

The provision for electronic transmission of results was also a central demand of civil society groups during debates leading to the passage of the 2022 Electoral Act, with many arguing that it would minimise human interference and restore public confidence in the electoral process.

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Popular activist Randy Peters, who also spoke at the protest, accused the political class of betraying the ideals of democracy and vowed that demonstrators would return to the National Assembly until their demands are met.

“Tomorrow, we will be back here until the Senate does the right thing. The current administration supported the June 12 campaign. It was about free and fair elections,” he said.

Invoking the spirit of the June 12, 1993 election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest poll, Peters questioned why elected leaders would resist reforms that guarantee credible outcomes.

“Do we have Democrats who are afraid of losing elections? In 2027, our votes must count. The most important thing is that our votes must count. Tomorrow, they will meet us here again,” he added.

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Police arrest teenager for stabbing two boys at UK school

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UK police said on Tuesday that they were questioning a teenager suspected of stabbing two boys at a London school, as counter-terrorism officers took over the investigation.

The suspect, said to be 13, was arrested several hours after allegedly fleeing the site of the attack on the boys aged 12 and 13, and police had recovered the suspected weapon used, according to London’s Metropolitan Police.

“We await an update on how they are, though we understand their conditions to be serious,” Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams told reporters at Kingsbury High School in northwest London.

“The suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in custody for questioning by our officers,” he said.

“At this very early stage, we are keeping an open mind as to any motivation behind this attack.

“However, due to the surrounding circumstances, the investigation is now being led by officers from counter-terrorism policing London who are working closely with our local officers in response to this incident.”

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Williams added that the stabbing had not yet been declared “a terrorist incident” and noted that police were not looking for anyone else over the incident.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said she was “heartbroken to hear about the stabbings”, noting her ministry was “in contact with the school and council to offer support”.

Students were still being interviewed by police in one of the school’s halls, more than three hours after the usual school day finished, media reported.

The UK, and London in particular, has long grappled with teenage violence and the use of knives, while violence within schools has been growing nationwide, according to unions representing teachers.

A 15-year-old boy was remanded in custody in Wales last week after being charged with the attempted murder of a female teacher after allegedly attacking her with a kitchen knife.

Both teenage victims in the London stabbings, which occurred just after midday, were taken to hospital.

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“We treated two patients in total. We took one patient to hospital and the other as a priority to a major trauma centre,” the London Ambulance Service said.

In a letter to parents, Kingsbury High School headteacher Alex Thomas said it had been “a deeply traumatic event for the whole school community”.

“The situation is under control,” he added, noting some parts of the school — which serves nearly 2,000 pupils aged 11 to 18 — will be closed Wednesday.

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Dangote Refinery reduces petrol price to N774 per litre

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Dangote Petroleum Refinery has reduced its Premium Motor Spirit gantry price by N25 per litre, lowering its ex-depot rate from N799 to N774 per litre in what industry analysts describe as a strategic price recalibration amid evolving market dynamics in 2026.

The refinery communicated the price adjustment to marketers on Tuesday, noting that the new rate takes immediate effect.

In a notice issued by its Group Commercial Operations Department, Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE stated, “This is to notify you of a change in our PMS gantry price from N799 per litre to N774 per litre.”

The refinery also informed marketers that its PMS lifting incentive had ended.

“Additionally, please note that the PMS lifting bonus ended at 12:00 a.m. on 10th February 2026. The corresponding credit for volumes loaded from 2nd to 10th February 2026, within the stipulated volume thresholds earlier communicated, will be posted to your account statement. Thank you for your continued partnership,” the notice read.

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The closure of the bonus window, alongside the price cut, signals a transition from volume-driven incentives to a more stable pricing regime as the refinery consolidates its domestic market presence.

The latest reduction comes against the backdrop of volatile PMS pricing in 2025, following the full deregulation of the downstream sector and the removal of petrol subsidies.

Throughout much of 2025, PMS ex-depot prices fluctuated sharply, driven by exchange rate pressures, global crude oil movements and reliance on imported fuel. Ex-depot prices at various points ranged between N700 and over N800 per litre, while pump prices climbed even higher in several parts of the country.

The commencement of large-scale domestic supply from the Dangote refinery late in the year helped moderate prices, particularly along coastal and southern supply corridors, easing pressure on import parity pricing.

In early 2026, Dangote’s PMS gantry price had increased to N799 per litre after selling to Nigerians at N699 during the festive period.

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The latest N25 cut to N774 per litre suggests easing cost pressures and improving operational efficiency, as well as growing competition from alternative supply channels, including imported cargoes and expected output from modular refineries.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, is Africa’s largest single-train refinery and a cornerstone of Nigeria’s drive to reduce fuel imports and conserve foreign exchange.

Since commencing PMS supply to the domestic market, the refinery has increasingly shaped downstream pricing dynamics, often acting as a reference point for ex-depot rates.

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Electoral Act: Senate allows e-transmission of election results, retains manual backup

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The Senate has amended the Electoral Act to permit the electronic transmission of election results, leaving safeguards to address potential technical challenges.

Tuesday’s decision follows the upper chamber’s move on Tuesday to rescind its earlier position, which had rejected the compulsory electronic transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IREV).

Following the new amendment, the Senate approved electronic transmission (without the real time phrase) as part of the electoral process but stipulated that where internet connectivity fails, the Form EC8A will remain the primary instrument for result collation.

Under the proposal, electronic transmission would serve as the primary method of uploading results.

However, in the event of technical challenges such as network failures, the motion provides for a fallback option allowing the manual transmission of results using Form EC8A, duly signed and stamped by the presiding officer.

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The proposal, however, sparked concerns among lawmakers, particularly over the reliance on Form EC8A as the primary source of election results, where disputes arise.

The differing views led to sharp divisions on the floor of the Senate, prompting Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe to call for an individual vote on the matter to clearly determine the position of each lawmaker.

However, rather surprisingly, Senator Abaribe withdrew his call for individual votes moments later.

The votes and proceedings were then approved and adopted by the upper chamber.

Meanwhile, the upper chamber also appointed a 12-member conference committee to harmonise differences between its version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill and that of the House of Representatives.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the decision during an emergency plenary session on Tuesday.

“After consultation with the leadership, we have moved the number from nine to 12. I will now read out the names of the conference committee members from the Senate,” Akpabio said on the floor of the Senate.

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The members are:

1. Senator Simon Bako Lalong – Chairman

2. Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno – Member

3. Senator Adamu Aliero – Member

4. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu – Member

5. Senator Abba Moro – Member

6. Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong – Member

7. Senator Aminu Iya Abbas – Member

8. Senator Tokunbo Abiru – Member

9. Senator Niyi Adegbonmire (SAN) – Member

10. Senator Jibrin Isah – Member

11. Senator Ipalibo Banigo – Member

12. Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi – Member

Proceedings at Tuesday’s Senate sitting became tense, as repeated interruptions and heated exchanges disrupted debates in the Red Chamber.

The atmosphere shifted after lawmakers began deliberation on a motion sponsored by Senator Tahir Monguno, which triggered sharp divisions among members.

Monguno proposed that the Senate rescind its earlier approval of Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2026—a provision that outlines the process for transmitting election results electronically.

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The debate culminated in Senate President Godswill Akpabio lending his support to a revised framework that designates electronic transmission as the primary mode of uploading results, while allowing manual submission via Form EC8A strictly where technical challenges occur.

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