As Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, the debate over electoral reform is once again taking centre stage. At the heart of it is the Electoral Act 2022 (Amendment) Bill, a proposal many believe could shape the credibility of the next polls. The urgency for reform is rooted in the controversy of the 2023 presidential election, where polling unit results were not uploaded in real time to INEC’s Result Viewing (IReV) portal, raising suspicion about the integrity of the results. Although the Supreme Court later ruled that electronic transmission was not legally mandatory under the 2022 Act, many Nigerians felt the law needed to be clearer to prevent similar disputes in the future. In response, lawmakers moved to amend the Act to make real-time electronic transmission compulsory. On February 10, 2026, the Senate finalised its position on the bill after days of public protests and debate involving top political brass including Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi. The Senate agreed that the polling unit results should be transmitted electronically. However, it added an important clause, stating that if technology fails or transmission becomes impossible, the manual result sheet (Form EC8A) will take precedence. Stakeholders describe this as a proactive step necessary to ensure the continuity of the electoral process against any potential network failure or cyber threats during the upcoming polls. However, many Nigerians see it as a loophole that could undermine transparency. Dengiyefa Angalapu of the Centre for Democracy and Development argues that the concern is not just about technology, but about trust. A high proportion of Nigerians fear that any legal ambiguity could be exploited, especially given past experiences with electoral disputes. Dengiyefa Angalapu, a research analyst at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), argues that the amendment falls short of public expectations. According to Angalapu, the issue goes beyond technology. He stated that the fundamental challenge is the integrity of political stakeholders. “The fundamental challenge is that Nigerians know their politicians and do not trust them. Over the years, political actors have consistently exploited loopholes in the system….This is definitely not what civil society advocated for. We wanted a firm and unambiguous process in which electronic transmission is compulsory, without exceptions”  – Angalapu He warns that any legal ambiguity allowing a return to manual collation may be misused, just as the 2023 transmission failure became the central point of dispute up to the Supreme Court. What Nigerians are demanding The bill has been passed to a joint conference committee made up of members from both the Senate and the House of Representatives to be harmonised. One question lingers, as the legislative process continues. Will the amended law protect voters, or preserve loopholes for political actors?

‎The Federal Fire Service (FFS) has issued an advisory to homeowners and businesses over the increase in fire outbreaks linked to faulty solar energy installations. ‎‎The Kano State Command of the FFS is urging the public to seek technical supervision before and during the installation of solar power systems to mitigate the risk of avoidable disasters.‎‎They attribute the surge to the DC Danger Zone, involving high-voltage Direct Current (DC) arcs that are more difficult to extinguish than standard Alternating Current (AC) fires.‎‎In standard AC systems, the voltage alternates, passing through zero volts 100 times per second ( frequency), which helps self-extinguish small sparks. In contrast, DC voltage remains constant. If a cable is damaged or a connection is loose, the electricity can jump across the gap, creating a plasma arc that can reach temperatures exceeding .‎‎The Deputy Superintendent of Fire (DSF) Alhassan Kantin, Public Relations Officer for the Kano State Command, confirmed that the service is deploying its engineering unit to provide technical guidance to the public. This is in response to the report that many recent electrical fires are the result of substandard equipment, poor wiring, and the use of unqualified technicians.‎‎The Federal Fire Service has inaugurated a specialized committee led by Assistant Controller General (ACG) Bolarinde Tajudeen Muhammed, to enforce these safety standards. This task force, which comprises legal directors and senior engineers, is saddled with the responsibility to conduct nationwide risk assessments of public and private buildings to ensure compliance with the National Fire Safety Code.‎‎Property owners planning new installations are encouraged to visit their local FFS command for a safety brief.‎‎

The State Security Service (SSS), has filed cybercrime charges against former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.‎‎The charges were presented immediately after El-Rufai’s public admission from an interview on ARISE TV on February 13th, that he accessed intercepted phone conversations belonging to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu. ‎El-Rufai claimed that he had listened to recordings of Ribadu’s private calls. In those recordings, he claimed that the NSA allegedly directed security agencies to detain him. He also acknowledged that tapping an official’s phone is a criminal act; “I know it’s illegal, but the government does it all the time; they listen to our calls all the time without a court order“. ‎The Prosecution stated that the actions of the former governor was a clear breach of federal law and that the “Eye-for-an-Eye” justification does not grant private citizens the right to deploy surveillance technology against public officials. ‎This law is enshrined under the Cybercrime Act 2024 and the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, which prohibits willfully intercepting or accessing electronic communications without authorization, which can include recording conversations without the consent of all involved parties.‎Meanwhile, ‎El-Rufai is currently being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) over his eight-year tenure as governor.

‎A lawsuit filed before the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal of Nigeria against the food delivery platform Chowdeck, instituted this month by claimant Dolapo Adedeji, alleges that the company misleads consumers by inflating food prices without official price disclosure.‎The claimant alleges that Chowdeck lists food items at rates 25% to 50% higher than restaurant prices, presenting these as base prices but failing to disclose the embedded markup of the platform.‎The claimant argues that consumers are being deceived into paying premium prices tag under the guise of standard restaurant pricing. ‎Counsel for the claimant, Abdulrahman Akinyemi, stated that the lawsuit is targeted at ensuring compliance and transparency for consumers to make well informed decisions: “The goal here is not merely to secure compensation. It is to prompt industry-wide policy reflection, strengthen compliance practices, and foster a culture of pricing transparency that enables consumers to make informed decisions” ‎‎While Chowdeck has not responded to the allegation, stakeholders in the food delivery service argue that these markups sustain delivery infrastructure and provide living wages for riders, which the food delivery platform has been praised for in the past. ‎They stressed that the price discrepancies are a common global practice used to offset high platform commissions and preserve thin margins for vendors. The lawsuit exposed the gap between in-store prices and app-listed prices. The Tribunal is asked to determine if undisclosed markups constitute material omission or misleading representation under Section 115 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act. ‎‎

‎Nigeria’s largest electricity distribution company, Ikeja Electric (IE), has mandated that corporate customers and business partners submit their Tax Identification Numbers (TIN) or National Identification Numbers (NIN) by February 20, 2026. ‎The directive, which initially raised concern among residential consumers, comes after the implementation of the new Nigeria Tax Act (2025). ‎Compliance and Clarification ‎Ikeja Electric issued a public notice on Wednesday warning that any utility bill generated without a verified identification number is now considered invalid under federal law. The company stated that it would suspend electricity supply to customers who fail to comply with the update by the February 20 deadline. Who is affected? ‎After public criticism and confusion regarding whether the policy applied to all account holders, the utility provider issued a clarifying statement 24 hours later. ‎‎The first announcement from Ikeja Electric used broad language that did not distinguish between a “corporate” and a “residential” customer. This led thousands of private homeowners to believe they needed a Tax ID, which many do not possess, to prevent their lights from being cut off. ‎The clarification statement confirms that the requirement for Tax IDs and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) details applies exclusively to business entities, specifically targets Corporate Customers (B2B), vendors, and strategic business partners, thereby exempting residential households from the threat of disconnection. The current billing system of residential households remains valid without a Tax ID.‎‎Corporate customers (B2B) and vendors must provide their TIN, NIN, or CAC registration details to maintain service. ‎“Please note that the notice applies strictly to corporate customers (B2B), as well as our vendors and strategic business partners” – the statement Understanding what the Tax ID means ‎The sudden requirement for identification numbers is as a result of the Nigeria Tax Act (2025), which became law on January 1, 2026. ‎‎Under the new “Invoice Validation Framework,” the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) requires that every business-to-business transaction be uploaded and verified through a central portal. For Ikeja Electric to process these digital invoices, a valid Tax ID for the recipient is a mandatory field.‎‎This legislation aims to modernize the fiscal system of the country by linking utility consumption directly to tax records. What are the consequences for non-compliant businesses? ‎For businesses, the February 20 deadline still remains. Under the 2025 Tax Act, a bill missing the required identification is legally null and void. ‎‎This creates a deadlock because the utility cannot legally collect payment on an invalid bill, and it cannot legally provide service without a valid billing record.‎‎Businesses that fail to update their records will have their power supply suspended to ensure the utility remains compliant with federal tax laws.‎‎Corporate entities have until the close of business on February 19, 2026, to verify their details via Ikeja Electric’s online portal.‎‎