Author: Vardiafrica

FIFA will pay total prize money of one billion dollars to participants in the Club World Cup taking place in the United States this year, a source close to negotiations told AFP on Wednesday. The figure is significantly more than the prize money offered for either the last men’s or women’s World Cups. World football’s governing body has given few details about the funding of the first edition of the 32-team tournament that will take place every four years but it has signed up a broadcaster and major sponsors in recent weeks. British streaming service DAZN was awarded the exclusive global…

The Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions has dismissed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment and abuse of office petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, declaring it “dead on arrival”. The committee on Wednesday cited procedural violations and legal constraints During the probe session, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Neda Imasuen, cited Order 40 of the Senate Standing Orders, explaining that Akpoti-Uduaghan signed the petition herself rather than having it endorsed by another individual, thereby rendering it procedurally invalid. Additionally, he noted that the matters raised in the petition were already before the court, making them sub…

Godswill Akpabio, has denied allegations of sexual harassment brought against him by a fellow senator. Senate President Akpabio told Wednesday’s session that he had been raised very well by his late mother and had never harassed any woman. In an interview with Arise Television on Friday, senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that Akpabio had made inappropriate advances towards her during a visit to his residence in southern Akwa Ibom state, on 8 December 2023. She said that Akpabio had taken her by the hand, led her around his house, and made sexual advances towards her while her husband walked behind them,…

The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has announced August 9, 2025, for the conduct of a fresh LGA elections in the state. On February 28, the supreme court nullified the LGA elections held in the state on October 5, 2024. A five-member panel of the apex court ruled in favour of an appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC). In its lead judgment delivered by Jamilu Tukur, the apex court held that there was no evidence to show that the conditions set out in section 150(3) of the Electoral Act had been met before the electoral umpire conducted the polls.…

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has filed a charge against MultiChoice Nigeria Limited and its Chief Executive Officer, John Ugbe, for allegedly violating regulatory directives and obstructing an ongoing inquiry. The three counts filed before the Federal High Court Lagos, bordered on willful implementation of a price hike contrary to the Commission’s directives, an offence which violates Section 33(4) of the FCCPC Act. The other counts are on the company’s disregard for instructions to suspend the hike in violation of Section 110, and attempt to mislead the Commission by proceeding with the increase without objection contrary to…

To fill existing vacancies in the Federal Civil Service, President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Adeladan Olarinre and Mukhtar Muhammed as new permanent secretaries. Director of Information and Public Relations, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Eno Olotu revealed this in a statement released in Abuja on Wednesday. Olarinre will represent Oyo State, while Muhammed will serve as the representative for the North-West geopolitical zone. Olotu emphasised that the appointments followed a rigorous and transparent selection process aligned with the administration’s commitment to meritocracy, excellence, and competence in the civil service. “The…

The senator representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on Wednesday arrived at the Senate Chamber today with her husband as plenary resumed after a one-week recess. In a brief but affectionate moment, her husband gave her a kiss before she proceeded into the chamber to take her seat. The Kogi State senator took her place in her newly assigned seat, which has been at the center of an ongoing controversy. The dispute over the seat has sparked tensions within the Senate as she accused the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of sexual harassment. The Senate President has rejected the allegation and…

Nigeria has joined the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), becoming its 77th shareholder. Nigeria submitted a request to join the Bank in April 2024 and the Board of Governors approved its membership in May of the same year. At the EBRD’s 2023 Annual Meeting in Samarkand, the Board of Governors approved an amendment to the Agreement Establishing the EBRD to enable the limited and incremental expansion of its operations to sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq. Once the amendment is in force, which requires formal acceptance by the majority of the EBRD’s shareholders, the Bank will be able to take forward Nigeria’s request to become a country of…

US President Donald Trump says he’s received a letter from Volodymyr Zelensky agreeing to “come to the negotiating table” to strike a peace deal in Ukraine. “I appreciate that he sent this letter,” Trump said as he addressed a joint session of Congress in Washington. It came after Zelensky said in a social media post that he was ready to work under Trump’s “strong leadership” to achieve a lasting peace. The statements indicate a cooling of tensions between the leaders following their fiery meeting in the Oval Office last week. In his address to Congress, Trump said he received an…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the French government are set to strengthen their cooperation in tackling financial crimes. The commitment was made during a courtesy visit by Lieutenant General Regis Colombet, Director of Security and Defence Cooperation at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, to the EFCC’s headquarters in Abuja. Colombet highlighted France’s extensive experience in establishing specialized academic and training centres, citing the Cyber School in Dakar, Senegal, and an Academy in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, dedicated to counterterrorism training. He said the collaboration will be particularly in the areas of asset tracking, cybercrime investigation,…