Author: Vardiafrica

Presidential hopeful and former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has announced his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election. Obi, who made the announcement during an interactive session on X, hosted by @obidientupdate, put paid to months of speculation over his future political plans. The X Space attracted thousands of participants, underscoring Obi’s continued influence in Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general election. Obi used the opportunity to address some of Nigeria’s critical challenges in the areas of economy, security, and governance. “Peter Obi will be on the ballot in 2027. I need your prayers. I…

Cristiano Ronaldo has decided to ‘boycott’ Al Nassr and will ‘refuse to play’ in their next game. Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers of all time, but he is also a renowned man-child and has spat his dummy out on several occasions in recent years. The Man Utd legend responded poorly to falling in the pecking order under Erik ten Hag in his final few months at Old Trafford, with the former head coach rightly preferring to select younger stars who offered more. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was a bit-part player before his infamous interview with Piers Morgan (in which he…

Dangote Refinery, Dangote Cement and Dangote Fertiliser signed revised Gas Sale and Purchase Agreements (GSPAs) on Feb. 1 with two NNPC subsidiaries, Nigerian Gas Marketing and the NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company. The deals are intended to cover rising energy demand linked to the Dangote Group’s industrial expansion projects and form part of its Vision 2030 strategy to increase production while shifting toward cleaner energy sources. The signings took place during the official launch of the NNPC Gas Master Plan 2026 at the company’s headquarters in Abuja. The plan is NNPC’s new roadmap for boosting gas production and domestic use. The…

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has commissioned a 9.4-kilometre Ogu Community Road Network and a 1,500 seater Royal Hall in Ogu, Ogu-Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, while speaking at the inauguration yesterday, described the projects as further proof of the Federal Government’s commitment to the development of the Niger Delta region. Wike said he was impressed by the quality and scale of infrastructure delivered in the community, stressing that the network of concrete roads and drainage systems had significantly transformed Ogu. According to the minister, the projects…

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised the alarm over reports that civil servants across several states are being coerced to register for the APC’s ongoing e-registration exercise, allegedly under pressure from the party’s national leadership. The ADC described the practice as economic coercion and forced membership, warning that compelling public servants to join a political party violates their constitutional right to freedom of association and undermines the neutrality of the civil service. The full statement read: The African Democratic Congress (ADC) expresses deep concern over disturbing reports emerging from several states across the country indicating that civil servants and…

The Anambra state government has announced the reopening of Onitsha Main Market on Monday, February 2, for full commercial and economic activities following a one-week closure. Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra, ordered the temporary shutdown of the market after traders defied the state’s directive to ignore the longstanding Monday sit-at-home order enforced by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Soludo issued the directive for the closure during an on-the-spot visit to the market, accompanied by senior officials and security operatives. He warned that non-compliance could lead to longer closure or harsher measures. The closure triggered a response from Emma Powerful, IPOB…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited over the “failure to account for the alleged missing or diverted ₦22.3 billion, USD$49.7 million, £14.3 million and €5.2 million oil money.” Disclosing this in a statement on Sunday, SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the suit followed the damning allegations documented in the 2022 audited report by the Auditor-General of the Federation, which was published on 9 September 2025. The suit was filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The group is seeking “an order of mandamus to…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pledged a stronger development partnership with Taraba State following the formal entry of Governor Agbu Kefas and his supporters into the All Progressives Congress (APC). This is just as Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that the state is pivotal to Nigeria’s food and energy security. Senator Shettima who represented the President at a grand reception to formally receive Governor Kefas to the APC in Jalingo on Saturday said President Tinubu had instructed him to assure the Governor of his place not only in the party, but in the continuing relationship to prioritise the development…

Speaking during the Sickle Cell Health Promotion and Sensitisation programme at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, observed that Sickle Cell Disease remains a major public health concern in Nigeria, particularly in the Niger Delta. Ogbuku, who was represented by the Director of Education, Health, and Social Services, Dr Patience Ezugu, noted that the sensitisation programme was dedicated to strengthening awareness to ensure prevention and care for Sickle Cell Disease in the Niger Delta. The Managing Director stated: “As a Commission mandated to enhance the well-being of our people, the NDDC…

The military junta in Guinea-Bissau is no longer seeking to arrest a senior opposition politician who has been on the run, an opposition official said on Saturday. But another prominent opposition leader, whom the military released from prison only on Friday, has now been placed under house arrest. The junta imprisoned several senior politicians after overthrowing president Umaro Sissoco Embalo and seizing power on November 26, just days after the presidential election and before the official results were released. The military suspended the electoral process and Embalo fled the country. His main election rival, Fernando Dias, who said he had…