Author: Vardiafrica

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is again pushing for the creation of an electoral offence tribunal.  According to the INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu, the move becomes important owing to the backlog of electoral offence cases. Mahmood spoke in Abuja on Friday during the commission’s first regular quarterly consultative meeting with the media. “A major obstacle to the speedy dispensation of justice in this regard is that electoral offences are not time-bound as is the case with post-election offences through the tribunals. Furthermore, they are solely prosecuted by the Magistrate and State High Courts in the jurisdiction where the alleged…

The Federal Government has launched a free-to-use 112 emergency number for Nigerians to call in the event of kidnappings and other security-related incidents. The National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Major General Adamu Laka, disclosed this during a press briefing on the activities of the Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell under the Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja on Thursday, February 6. “The Nigerian Communications Commission has facilitated an emergency response number, 112. The NCTC calls on all Nigerians to report suspicious activities, crimes, and kidnappings by calling the toll-free number 112, including the Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap…

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has commenced the placement and payment of 10,000 beneficiaries of the Youth Internship Scheme for one-year practical skills training in various organisations for sustainable youth empowerment in the Niger Delta region. With the successful completion of the selection of beneficiaries and their ongoing placement in organisations for practical experience, the payment of the monthly stipends has also taken effect. The selection process was conducted with the utmost transparency, diligence, and fairness after over 3.2 million young people registered in the database at the close of the application period. This unprecedented response highlights our youth’s…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced major leadership changes at several federal universities, including the University of Abuja, which is now renamed Yakubu Gowon University. These changes are effective immediately. At the newly renamed Yakubu Gowon University, President Tinubu dissolved the entire governing council and relieved Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi of her duties as Vice-Chancellor. President Tinubu appointed Professor Lar Patricia Manko to replace her as the Acting Vice-Chancellor for a six-month term.Disclosing this in a statement, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, Information & Strategy, said Manko will not be eligible to apply for the permanent position when it becomes available. Senator…

The House of Representatives Committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution has proposed the creation of 31 additional states in the country.  Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu who presided over plenary on Thursday read a letter from the committee containing the proposed states. If approved, this will increase the number of states in Nigeria to 67. The letter read: “This is to inform members that the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered), has received legislative proposals for the creation of states and…

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced the rollout of its contactless passport application system in Europe, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. The launch is set for Friday, February 7, 2025, and aims to simplify passport application and renewal processes for Nigerians in the diaspora. “This initiative set for launch on 7th of February 2025 will enable Nigerians in the Diaspora to apply for and renew their passports online from the comfort of their homes,” said NIS Comptroller General Kemi Nanna Nandap during a courtesy visit to the Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in Abuja.…

US President, Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning transgender women from participating in women’s sports. “The war on women’s sports is over,” he said on Wednesday, February 5, “With my action this afternoon, we are putting every school receiving taxpayer dollars on notice that if you let men take over women’s sports teams or invade your locker rooms, you will be investigated for violations of Title IX and risk your federal funding.” The executive order, signed on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, declares that it’s “the policy of the United States to oppose male competitive participation in women’s sports…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, led two former governors in the former G-5 Governors’ Forum, Senators and a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives to pay a condolence visit to the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday. Wike, who arrived at Makinde’s Ikolaba residence in company of the former governors of Abia and Benue states, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu and Samuel Ortom, commiserated with the governor, stating that “whatever affects him also affects the G-5 Governors.” The delegation also included Senators Philip Aduda, Mao Ohuabunwa, Olaka Nwogu, Sandy Onor and former Deputy Speaker of the…

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has commenced the training of 364 young farmers for the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) project in Rivers State. Speaking during the orientation training for 350 incubatees and 14 incubators in Port Harcourt, the NDDC Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr Winifred Madume, charged the beneficiaries to take up the challenge as future agribusiness entrepreneurs.She stated that the Federal Government jointly funded the LIFE-ND project through a loan from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), with additional support from NDDC and counterpart funds from the participating state governments. According to the…

The Senate has approved the request by President Bola Tinubu to approve the termination of the appointment of the Resident Electoral Commission (REC) of Adamawa, Sokoto and Abia States over misconduct. Tinubu, in a letter addressed to the Senate which was read by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, during plenary on Wednesday, urged the Senate to invoke Section 157 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, on the termination of their appointments. He noted that the RECs had earlier been suspended in March 2023 before the inception of his administration. The affected RECs…