Author: Vardiafrica

FIFA’s decision to appoint a South African officiating team for Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup playoff first leg against Gabon has sparked outrage among Nigerian football fans and officials, who have questioned the neutrality of the move. According to a FIFA letter dated 3 November 2025, South Africa’s Tom Abongile will serve as the centre referee, with Zakhele Siwela as assistant referee and Akhona Makalima handling Video Assistant Referee (VAR) duties. The referee assessor for the match, which will take place on 13 November at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, will come from Benin Republic. A senior Nigeria…

Cameroon’s 92-year-old President Paul Biya has promised to restore order in the country gripped by post-election violence, as he was sworn in for an eighth consecutive term in office. In his inaugural address, the world’s oldest president offered condolences to victims of the protests and blamed those he called “irresponsible politicians” for the unrest. “I can assure you, order will reign,” he promised, saying it was pointless to plunge the country into crisis. Following allegations of fraud during last month’s election, Biya described the electoral process as satisfactory and praised the electoral body Elecam. The nonagenarian won 54% of the…

The Senate has confirmed Dr. Kingsley Ude, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) from Enugu State, as a Minister of the Federal Republic. His confirmation followed a screening session held on the Senate floor on Thursday. Born in 1978, Ude previously served as the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Enugu State. During his screening, senators posed a series of questions touching on both national and international issues. Senator Abdul Ningi asked the nominee to share his opinion on the ongoing Trump threat, seeking his perspective on possible solutions. The question sparked a brief uproar in the chamber, as…

Some members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are holding a peaceful protest at the United States Embassy in Abuja. The protesters are seeking the support of the international community to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy and prevent the country from sliding toward a one-party system. They are also submitting protest letters at the US Embassy, the European Union complex, and the Ministry of Justice. The demonstrators carried placards with messages urging the international community and the Ministry of Justice to intervene and protect Nigeria’s democracy and the judiciary. The protesters allege a drift toward a one-party state, claiming that the ruling…

Yu Dunhai, Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, says China will continue to support Nigeria in the fight against terrorism. Dunhai made the comment in a statement published via X on Thursday after a meeting with Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s national security adviser (NSA). The Chinese ambassador said the Asian country “firmly supports” the Nigerian government in its developmental plans that “fits Nigeria’s national realities”. Dunhai said China opposes the interference of any country in the internal affairs of Nigeria “under the pretext of religion and human rights”. “As a comprehensive strategic partner of Nigeria, China firmly supports the Nigerian government in leading its people…

U.S. President Donald Trump has again threatened military action against Nigeria in a video broadcast, ordering U.S. defence officials to prepare contingency options and warning that Washington could cut off all aid if Abuja does not stop what he described as the “k!lling of Christians.” In the recorded address the president said in full: “If the Nigerian government continues to allow the kill!ngs of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria. We are going to do things to Nigeria that Nigeria is not going to be happy about. G#ns are blazing to completely wipe out…

A bill seeking to establish legal and policy frameworks for Nigeria’s transition from petrol-powered vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) has scaled second reading at the senate. Orji Uzor Kalu. sponsor of the bill. said the proposal aims to reduce carbon emissions, promote local manufacturing, and position Nigeria to benefit from the global shift towards clean mobility. Kalu said the transport sector accounts for about 20 to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Nigeria, adding that the country risks falling behind other African economies that have begun large-scale electric mobility adoption. “This bill seeks to create a comprehensive legal and…

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Adolphus Wabara, has appealed to warring members of the party to sheathe their swords and prioritize reconciliation for the sake of the party’s unity Wabara made the call while chairing a BoT meeting at the Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro on Wednesday, emphasizing that the board would remain neutral and focus solely on mediating differences. Present at the meeting were BoT Secretary Ahmed Makarafi, Jerry Gana, Senator Ben Obi, Josephine Anenih, Zainab Maina, and members of the Umar Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC). This marked the first appearance of…

Singapore is planning to introduce caning as punishment for scammers. During the bill’s second reading on Tuesday, Sim Ann, senior minister of state for home and foreign affairs, said the country lost more than $2.8 billion through scams — from 2020 up to the first half of 2025. She added that around 190,000 cases of scamming had been reported during the period. “We will introduce mandatory caning for scammers. Offenders who commit scams, defined as cheating mainly by means of remote communication, will be punished with at least six strokes of the cane,” she said. “These syndicates mobilise significant resources to conduct…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited says it is working to increase its equity stake in the Dangote Petroleum Refinery to 20 percent, as part of its strategic investment drive in the downstream oil sector. Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Bayo Ojulari disclosed this on Tuesday during a session at the ADIPEC Energy Conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, according to a report by Reuters. NNPC had initially proposed to acquire a 20 percent stake in the Dangote Refinery for $2.76 billion in 2021. However, in July 2024, the refinery’s founder, Aliko Dangote, revealed that the state oil company had scaled back…