Author: Vardiafrica

Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of Rivers state, has officially registered as a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Amaechi completed his registration at ward 8 in Ubima LGA of Rivers state on Friday morning. The development comes hours after the office of the ADC in the community was set ablaze by unknown persons. Residents reportedly woke up to an early morning fire that destroyed a section of the party office and caused panic in the area. Amaechi urged supporters who gathered to welcome him to shun all forms of violence that could lead to loss of life. “Don’t be violent because…

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, his wife, Mrs Asabe Bashir, and their son, Mr Abdulaziz Malami. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik granted each of the defendants bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties As part of the bail conditions, the court ordered that one of the sureties must deposit title deeds of properties located in either Maitama or Asokoro, both highbrow districts of Abuja. The court also directed the defendants to deposit their international passports with the court, and pending the fulfilment of the bail…

Former Nigerian Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, has indicated her willingness to refund money stolen from the Nigerian government as part of efforts to settle a ₦2.5billion fraud case through a plea bargain arrangement. Oduah and her co-defendant signalled their intention to pursue the plea deal during proceedings before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday. The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, informed the court that both defendants had approached the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation to negotiate a plea agreement. Oyedepo told the court that part of the proposed arrangement includes the refund…

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has said there will be no agreement with Iran unless the country accepts what he described as “unconditional surrender.” Trump made the declaration in a post on his verified account on X (formerly Twitter), outlining his administration’s position amid escalating tensions involving Iran and its Western adversaries. “There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” Trump wrote. The U.S. president said that once such a surrender takes place and a “great and acceptable” leadership is chosen in Iran, the United States and its allies would help rebuild the country’s economy.…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the posting of 65 ambassadors-designate to Nigerian diplomatic missions worldwide, including those at the United Nations, in a move aimed at strengthening the country’s diplomatic presence abroad. The list comprises 31 non-career ambassadors and 34 career diplomats, whose nominations by the President last November were confirmed by the Senate in December 2025 following their screening by the lawmakers. According to a statement issued by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Friday, several prominent political figures and public officials were among the non-career envoys assigned to key foreign missions. Among them…

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it will maintain efforts to curb revenue losses at airport toll gates using a hybrid approach despite the suspension of the nationwide cashless payment policy. The system combines electronic payment channels with cash while operational improvements are implemented. Managing Director of FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, explained that the directive issued after deliberations by the Federal Executive Council does not cancel the policy. Instead, it provides additional time to refine the rollout process and improve user experience across airport access points. The decision followed the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, after severe gridlock was…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board has reiterated its commitment to advancing gender inclusion and sustainable capacity development in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, spotlighting a $20m Women in Oil and Gas Intervention Fund. The Board made this known at the 3rd edition of the Diversity Sector Working Group’s Women in Oil and Gas Conference and Mentorship Programme, held on March 3, 2026, at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos. The conference, organised in collaboration with the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum, was themed ‘Breaking Barriers, Shaping the Future’, with a strong focus on building bridges and empowering women for a…

Donald Trump says he wants to be involved in choosing the next supreme leader of Iran, reiterating his goal of giving rise to a new leadership that is friendly to the United States within the Iranian ruling system. The US president voiced opposition on Thursday to appointing the son of the assassinated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba, to replace his slain father “They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment,” Trump told Axios. He added that he would prefer to have a leader similar to Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, who…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has said that its 10-year strategic roadmap was designed to strengthen Nigeria’s industrial base by retaining 70 per cent of oil and gas industry spending within the country by 2027, while creating employment opportunities for about 300,000 Nigerians across the oil and gas value chain and its linkage sectors. This position was made known during a high-level panel session at the maiden West Africa Industrialisation, Manufacturing and Trade Summit and Exhibition, held in Lagos under the theme “Accelerating West Africa’s Sustainable Industrial Revolution for Economic Prosperity”. The session focused on maximising human…

The United States asked Ukraine for help to fend off Iranian drone attacks in the Middle East, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday, adding that he had ordered expert support to be given. During Russia’s four-year offensive, Kiev has developed a range of cheap and effective drone interceptors, aerial craft designed to hit incoming attack drones mid-air, that it says are world-leading. Zelenskyy on Tuesday offered US allies in the Middle East a swap of some of their air defence missiles in exchange for those interceptors, which he said would better protect them from Iranian drone attacks. “We received…