Author: Vardiafrica

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has doubled down on his push for state police and full local government autonomy, telling All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders that both reforms are non-negotiable if Nigeria is to tackle insecurity and strengthen grassroots governance. Speaking on Thursday, December 19, at the 14th National Caucus meeting of the APC, held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, Tinubu disclosed that he had already assured the United States and European partners that Nigeria would establish state police. He said he was confident the ruling party would back the move. “I had a very long discussion with them.…

The Senate has confirmed all 64 nominees for career and non-career ambassadorial positions following consideration of a report by the Committee on Foreign Affairs. The confirmation came after the committee, chaired by Senator Sani Bello, presented its report, after which the recommendations were adopted. However, during the session, Senator Sahabi Yau raised an objection, drawing attention to the absence of any nominee from Zamfara State on the list. He urged that the President be notified of the omission. In response, the Senate President acknowledged the concern, explaining that the current list was not exhaustive. He assured lawmakers that he would…

Four lawmakers from Rivers State in the House of Representatives have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The members are Manuchim Umezuruike, representing Port Harcourt 1 Federal Constituency; Boniface Emerengwa, representing Ikwerre/Emuoha Federal Constituency; Awake-Inombek Abiante, representing Andoni/Opobo Federal Constituency; and Boma Goodhead, representing Asari-Toru Federal Constituency. The federal lawmakers who defected are said to be loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who also moved to the APC last week. Announcing his defection earlier last week, Fubara said he decided to leave the PDP to support President Bola Tinubu of the APC, saying that…

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has granted bail to former Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige, pending the trial of charges against him. Justice Maryam Hassan, in a ruling on Thursday, adopted the administrative bail earlier granted to the former governor of Anambra State by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on self-recognisance as part of the bail conditions. Justice Hassan further ordered Dr Ngige to produce a surety who must be a director in federal government employment. The director must have landed property in the FCT with a Certificate of Occupancy and must…

The Federal Capital Territory High Court has affirmed the detention of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Justice Babangida Hassan on Thursday dismissed Malami’s application for bail from EFCC custody, affirming that his detention was lawful and backed by a valid court order. The ruling was disclosed in a statement issued by the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale. According to the statement, Malami, through his counsel, Sulaiman Hassan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, had approached the court to challenge his detention, arguing that it was illegal because it…

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday, received the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills Jnr, stressing the need to strengthen the relations between the two countries. The duo, who met at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, expressed their desire for a more robust diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and America. Akpabio said that Nigeria and America had a shared goal of operating a democratic system, as the country’s democracy was modelled after the US system, and therefore the need to nurture and preserve it. “I thank you for receiving me during the 249th Independence Anniversary of your country. I congratulate…

The National Economic Council (NEC) has constituted a committee on livestock development to expedite the implementation of livestock production in Nigeria. This is as Chairman of the Council, Vice President Kashim Shettima, says a practical, enduring, and nationally accepted solution to the farmer-herder crisis will guarantee food security in the country. The NEC committee on Livestock Development, which was constituted on Wednesday during the 155th meeting of NEC held virtually, is to work in collaboration with other stakeholders. The committee has one member each representing the six geo-political zones, comprising Bauchi for the North-East, Niger for the North-Central, Ondo for…

The house of representatives has approved a proposal mandating the real-time transmission of election results. The resolution was adopted on Wednesday during the clause-by-clause consideration of the report seeking an amendment to the Electoral Act 2022. The approved clause states that the “presiding officer shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the IREV portal in real time, and such transmission shall be done after the prescribed form EC8A has been signed and stamped by the presiding officer and/or countersigned by the candidates or polling unit agents, where available at the polling unit”. The existing law does not mandate that…

Burkina Faso has released the Nigerian soldiers detained after their aircraft made a forced landing in the Sahelian country. The soldiers were released after President Bola Tinubu sent a delegation led by Yusuf Tuggar, minister of foreign affairs, to meet with Ibrahim Traoré, Burkin Faso’s junta leader, on Wednesday. A statement issued by Alkasim Abdulkadir, Tuggar’s spokesperson, said both sides amicably resolved the issue concerning the Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew. The soldiers were detained for nearly two weeks after the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) described the landing as an “unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law”. Advertisement…

President Bola Tinubu has sought the approval of the House of Representatives to repeal and reenact the N43,561,041,744,507 budget for the 2024 fiscal year. The president made the request on Wednesday in a letter titled: ‘Transmission of the appropriation (Repeal and reenactment bill), 2024-2025’, with Reference No: PRES/134-1/17/HR/ARRENB, dated December 16, 2025 and addressed to the Speaker, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen. He explained that the proposed bill seeks to authorise the issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation of the total sum of N43,561,041,744,507, comprising N1,742,786,788,150 for Statutory Transfers, N8,270,960,606,831 for Debt Service, N411,268,513,380,853 for Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure, and…