Author: Vardiafrica

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, has given Governor Siminalayi Fubara an ultimatum to either resign or face impeachment. Speaking at a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Monday, Okocha condemned the governor’s recent invitation to pro-Wike members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, describing it as a “Greek gift.” Fubara had extended an invitation to the legislators following a Supreme Court ruling, aiming to resolve the prolonged political crisis in the state. In a statement released on Sunday and signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, key…

The immediate-past Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufa’i, has resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress and defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP). In a statement he issued on Monday, El-Rufai expressed his disappointment with the APC’s leadership style, accusing the leadership of the party of straying from the progressive ideals of its founding members He disclosed that he had expressed concerns both privately and publicly over the party’s trajectory in the past two years but found no willingness among the current leadership to address the issues. The former governor said, “Developments in the last two years on the…

The Rivers State House of Assembly has issued a warrant for the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Justice Adolphus Enebeli (rtd), to appear before it. The Martins Amaewhule-led Assembly issued the arrest warrant on Monday during plenary, after the expiration of its 72-hour ultimatum for the electoral chief to appear before the House. Enebeli had fixed August 9, 2025, to conduct a fresh Local Government (LG) poll in the state following a Supreme Court verdict that annulled the October 5, 2024 local government poll conducted in the state. The Amaewhule-led Assembly had vowed to probe the…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has sealed a deal to acquire 20 per cent equity in a 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery project being established by African Refinery Group Ltd, in partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC Ltd).The share purchase agreement for this investment was signed on Thursday, and it will make NCDMB a key partner in the African Refinery Port Harcourt Limited (ARPHL), being co-located with Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited, operated by the NNPC Ltd, in Alesa Eleme, Rivers State .The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe signed the agreement…

Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are set to hold talks in the coming days to address the persistent challenges Nigerians face in obtaining visas. The talks aim to resolve concerns over visa restrictions and strengthen diplomatic and economic ties between both nations. The decision was reached during a courtesy visit by Salem Alshamsi,the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, to Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, at the Tafawa Balewa House in Abuja. Many Nigerians, particularly those seeking tourism visas, have faced challenges securing entry into the UAE, despite the long-standing diplomatic and economic ties between both nations.…

former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has paid a visit to former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, and renowned cleric, Pastor Tunde Bakare in Lagos. El-Rufai’s media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, disclosed the visit in a tweet yesterday. “Malam Nasir @elrufai was in Lagos today to visit Ogbeni @raufaregbesola and Pastor Tunde Bakare,” Adekeye wrote. His visit to Lagos came days after visiting former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna. Credible sources said El-Rufai had notified Buhari about his next political moves. Daily Trust reports that some of his associates, especially in Kaduna have recently defected to the Social Democratic…

The President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government is set to launch mass electric vehicle transportation in North-East Nigeria. This follows the approved of contracts worth nearly $100m (N151.9bn) by the Federal Executive Council to supply electric vehicles and establish charging infrastructure in the region. In a statement on Sunday, Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, recalled that FEC approved the contract for the supply of ten 17-seater electric buses last week. Giving a breakdown of contracts, Onanuga said Bluecrest Integrated Concept Limited was awarded a N2.9bn contract to deliver ten 17-seater electric buses within six months. He said that Messrs Mutual Commitment Company Limited…

The political crisis in Rivers State may be thawing gradually as Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has invited the embattled  27 members of the State House of Assembly for discussion, by way of putting the interest of the state first.In a letter by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr.Tammy Danagogo, addressed to the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, he stated that the governor’s action was in obedience to the recent Supreme Court judgment on the political crisis in the state. The Supreme Court, had last Monday, stopped the Central Bank of Nigeria and the accountant general of the federation from releasing any funds…

Family of the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, has faulted claims by former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, that the annulment of June 12, 1993, presidential election was largely the responsibility of their late father. Abacha’s son, Mohammed, in a statement, yesterday, argued that Babangida, in his autobiography titled “A Journey in Service” missed the opportunity to make history by giving a truthful and objective account of what happened in the past. According to the family, “honesty, sincerity, and integrity” are virtues not commonly associated with Babangida. The family argued that Abacha was neither the Head of State…

Schools in Beijing will introduce artificial intelligence courses to primary and secondary students to strengthen China’s goal to dominate the sector. From the coming fall semester, which starts Sept. 1, schools in China’s capital will offer at least eight hours of AI classes per academic year, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission said in a statement on its website. Schools can run them as standalone courses or integrate them with existing curriculum, such as information technology and science, it said. China has long held ambitions to be an AI innovator. But the sector was thrust into the global spotlight earlier this…