Author: Vardiafrica

A delegation of senators from opposition political parties visited suspended Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central, at her home on Friday. The delegation was led by Seriake Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa state. Dickson, a member of the senate’s ethics and privileges committee that recommended Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, shared a photo of the visit on his social media pages. He said his engagement with the tax reform bills had kept him away from senate proceedings on the day of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension. “The public may recall that, for the past 3 days, I was attending the 3-day workshop on the Tax…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Nigerian women on the occasion of 2025 International Women’s Day. Extolling women as the bedrock of the nation, driving progress from homes to farms, boardrooms, and communities, President Tinubu in a personally signed congratulatory message to women restated his administration’s commitment to its Renewed Hope Agenda, to remove obstacles and ensure equitable opportunities in governance, agriculture, and all other sectors for women in the country. The President also assured Nigerian women of expansion in access to finance to further empower them. “On this International Women’s Day, I celebrate the resilience, brilliance, and indispensable contributions…

The ongoing terrorism case against leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu has been reassigned to another judge. The reassignment was directed by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, John Tsoho, after months of intense pressure. The special counsel to Kanu, Aloy Ejimakor, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday. Justice Binta Nyako had been presiding over the trial of the IPOB leader. However, during the court’s hearing on 24 September 2024, Kanu requested that Nyako recuse herself from presiding over the matter, accusing the judge of bias. The statement read “Yesterday, before…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), as Special Adviser and Coordinator of the Presidential Livestock Reform. President Tinubu announced the appointment Friday, hoping to drive meaningful progress in the livestock sector and further strengthen national development efforts. Jega, former vice chancellor of Bayero University, co-chaired the Presidential Livestock Committee with President Tinubu. The committee delivered comprehensive recommendations that underscored sustainable livestock reforms. One recommendation was the creation of the Livestock Ministry, which now has a minister. Jega, 68, is a member of the International Elections Advisory Council and…

President Donald Trump has threatened to impose sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a ceasefire and peace agreement is reached with Ukraine. On his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump wrote: “Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large-scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED.” He urged both Russia and Ukraine to engage in immediate negotiations, warning, “Get to the table right now, before it is too late.” Trump has repeatedly stated his aim of serving as a “peacemaker”…

The Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has granted refining licenses to three companies to establish new refineries in Abia, Delta, and Edo States. According to a post on NMDPRA’s official X page, the licensed refineries include a 100,000 bpd facility for Eghudu Refinery Ltd in Edo State, a 30,000 bpd refinery for MB Refinery and Petrochemicals Company Ltd. in Delta State, and a 10,000 bpd facility for HIS Refining and Petrochemical Company Ltd. in Abia State. Once completed, these three refineries will collectively add 140,000 barrels per day to Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity. The Authority’s Chief Executive,…

South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol has been released from prison a day after a court cancelled his arrest warrant. Footage aired on local TV channels showed Yoon leaving prison on Saturday, waving his hand and bowing deeply to his supporters. Despite the release, Yoon’s criminal and impeachment trials continue over his short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3. His lawyers said the court decision “confirmed that the president’s detainment was problematic in both procedural and substantive aspects”, calling the ruling the “beginning of a journey to restore rule of law”. In a statement, Yoon, who remains suspended…

Doyin Okupe, a former presidential aide, is dead.According to family sources, Okupe died on Friday morning in Lagos, aged 72, after a prolonged battle with cancer. The late politician served as special assistant on media and publicity to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and later as senior special assistant on public affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. He was the director-general of the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign in 2023. A medical practitioner, Okupe joined the LP from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the 2023 general election. He resigned his membership of the LP in January 2024, about 10 months after the election. In November…

President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile, White House Artificial Intelligence and Crypto Czar David Sacks said in a Thursday (March 6) post on X. The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve will be capitalized with bitcoin seized in criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings and owned by the federal government, so it “will not cost taxpayers a dime,” Sacks said in the post. The executive order also calls for a full accounting of the federal government’s digital asset holdings, Sacks said, adding that there has never been such an audit and that it is estimated…

President Bola Tinubu has launched the national health fellows programme, an initiative to revitalise Nigeria’s primary healthcare system. Addressing 774 fellows in Abuja on Thursday, Tinubu urged them to monitor primary healthcare centres across all LGAs, promising employment after their one-year service. The president hailed the fellows as “vanguards of a new era”. The initiative aims to equip young Nigerians with the skills needed to drive meaningful change in the health sector. The programme is part of a broader initiative to upgrade existing primary healthcare centres and construct over 8,800 new ones across the country. The fellows began training on…