Author: Vardiafrica

The Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to raise N1.15 trillion from the domestic debt market to cover the unfunded portion of the 2025 budget deficit. The approval followed the adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debt during plenary on Wednesday. The committee noted that the 2025 Appropriation Act provides for a total expenditure of N59.99 trillion, representing an increase of N5.25 trillion over the N54.74 trillion initially proposed by the Executive. This expansion created a total budget deficit of N14.10 trillion. Of this, N12.95 trillion had already been approved for borrowing, leaving…

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, adjourned the alleged money laundering trial of former Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi until Jan. 29 for continuation of trial. Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the matter to allow the EFCC’s 7th prosecution witness (PW-7), Olomotame Egoro, who was being led in evidence by its lawyer, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, to conclude his testimony. When the matter was called for continuation of trial, Pinheiro sought to tender some documents marked as Exhibits 33 (1–11) and 34, while leading the witness in evidence. But counsel who appeared for former governor, Abdullahi Yahaya, SAN, interjected. He…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally presented Certificates of Return to Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, and his deputy, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, confirming their re-election for a second term in office. The certificates were handed to the duo on Tuesday in Awka by the Supervising National Commissioner for the Anambra governorship election, Kenneth Ikeagu, two days after the Commission declared them winners of the November 8, 2025 poll. Speaking during the presentation, Ikeagu said the exercise was in line with Section 72(1) of the Electoral Act (2022) which mandates INEC to issue certificates of return within 14 days…

President Bola Tinubu on Monday received official security and development briefings about four of the six geo-political zones in the country from his Community Engagement team. This is just as a senior presidential aide disclosed that historical mistrust, land-grabbing, banditry, and illegal mining are the biggest drivers of violence across nation’s North Central region. The Presidential Community Engagement Team was created to drive grassroots mobilisation and provide real-time feedback to the Presidency on policy implementation across the federation. Monday’s briefing, therefore, formed part of routine consultations with the President. Briefing newsmen after the closed-door engagement with President Tinubu at the…

The Federal Ministry of Steel Development and its defence counterpart have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to commence the local production of military hardware The MoU also covers the construction of a military industrial complex at the Ajaokuta steel territory in Kogi State. The MoU, which contained two key components, was signed between the steel and development minister, Prince Shuaibu Audu, and the Federal Minister of Defence, Bello Matawalle. The second agreement signed was between Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) and the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited on Monday, November 10, 2025, at the Ministry of Defence headquarters…

Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed the 2026 World Cup will be his last. The 40-year-old, who has scored 953 goals for club and country, also said he would retire from football in “one or two years”. Next year’s World Cup, taking place in Canada, Mexico and the United States, would be Ronaldo’s sixth. In an interview with CNN, when asked whether 2026 would be his last World Cup Ronaldo said: “Definitely, yes. I will be 41 years old and I think [this] will be the moment in the big competition.” Ronaldo, who plays his club football in Saudi Arabia…

A dramatic confrontation unfolded in Abuja on Tuesday when the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, was blocked by armed soldiers from accessing a disputed plot of land allegedly linked to former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (rtd.). The minister, who has made the enforcement of land-use regulations a central plank of his administration, had arrived at the site in company of officials from the FCTA Department of Development Control following reports of illegal development and land grabbing. According to the Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, the property in question…

A Federal High Court in Abuja has once again stopped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from going ahead with its planned National Convention slated for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State. In a ruling delivered on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu issued a fresh restraining order against the opposition party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), stopping the electoral body from supervising, monitoring, or recognising the outcome of the planned convention. The decision followed a suit filed by former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, who accused the PDP leadership of denying him the right to contest for the…

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has stepped up its counterterrorism and counter-banditry campaign with a series of precision airstrikes that eliminated ISWAP fighters in Borno State and destroyed criminal enclaves in Kwara and Katsina States. In a statement released on Monday, the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said that the coordinated missions executed represent a decisive phase in ongoing joint operations under Operation HADIN KAI and Operation FANSAN YAMMA, aimed at degrading terrorist and criminal networks across Nigeria’s northern theatres. According to him, in Borno State, NAF air interdiction missions dealt a heavy…

The Nigerian government is currently in talks with the government of United Kingdom to try to get former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu released and serve his remaining jail term in Nigeria. President Bola Tinubu had sent a high-level delegation to meet with officials of the UK Ministry of Justice to discuss the case of the imprisoned senator. Ekweremadu was convicted in the UK for organ trafficking after a plot to bring a 21 year old Lagos street vendor to Britain for a kidney transplant for his daughter, Sonia. He was sentenced to nine years and eight months under the…