General news

• Candidates’ List: INEC extends deadline to July 14

  12-07-2026 08:59 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Omeiza AjayiABUJA: The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has extended the deadline for submission of lists of candidates for the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly Elections by political parties, moving the cut-off from Saturday, July 11, 2026, to midnight on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.In a statement issued by the National Commissioner and Chair, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, on Sunday, the Commission said the deadline in the Revised Timetable
  
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• FG increases WAEC, NECO registration fees to N50,000

  12-07-2026 08:57 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Adesina WahabThe federal government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, has given approval for the National Examinations Council, NECO and the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, to increase the registration fee for their Senior Secondary Certificate Examination, SSCE, to N50,000 per candidate beginning from 2027.
  The examinations are conducted for internal candidates who are finishing their Senior Secondary School education. WAEC just finished this year’s exam a few weeks
  
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• Military confirms death of Army lieutenant in rescue of abducted Oyo pupils, teachers

  12-07-2026 08:55 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Kingsley OmonobiMilitary sources have confirmed the death of an Army officer, Lieutenant F.A. Isaac, during the operation that rescued 44 abducted pupils and teachers from the Old Oyo National Park.The victims were rescued on July 10, 2026, in a coordinated operation involving security agencies after spending several days in captivity.According to the sources, Lieutenant Isaac was killed in the line of duty during the rescue mission and was buried the same day.Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde
  
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• FREED OYO SCHOOL CHILDREN:Medical checks must include mental evaluation, NMA warns

  12-07-2026 08:44 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Chioma ObinnaThe release of the Oyo schoolchildren after more than 50 days in captivity has once again brought to the fore the often-overlooked physical and psychological toll of kidnapping. While the return of victims is widely celebrated, medical experts warn that freedom from captivity does not necessarily mark the end of their ordeal. Sunday Vanguard spoke to the President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Afekhide Ernest Omoti, on the hidden health consequences
  
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• You learn more from the street than school — Portable

  12-07-2026 08:26 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Ayo OnikoyiNigerian singer and entertainer Portable has opened up on his childhood struggles, street experiences and the lessons he learnt outside the classroom, stating that life on the streets taught him valuable skills.The singer shared his experience during an interview on The Honest Bunch Podcast, where he spoke about losing his mother at the age of 13 and how the loss affected his upbringing.According to Portable, although people were available around him, nobody could provide the same
  
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• Tinubu reiterates support for horse racing revival

  12-07-2026 08:22 via vanguardngr.com
  
  President Bola Tinubu says the Federal Government will promote traditional sports, especially horse racing, to empower youths, strengthen unity and stimulate economic growth.Tinubu spoke through Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, at Saturday’s Renewed Hope West African Horse Racing Derby grand finale at Murtala Square, Kaduna.Tinubu apologised for his absence, attributing it to pressing national engagements beyond his control.He congratulated the Horse Racing Federation of Nigeria for uniti
  
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• US hit around 140 Iranian military targets in latest strikes

  12-07-2026 08:21 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The US military said Saturday it hit at least 140 targets in Iran in retaliation for an Iranian attack on another commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz.“U.S. forces hit approximately 140 Iranian military targets with precision munitions launched by land- and sea-based fighter aircraft, drones, and naval vessels,” the US Central Command said in a statement.The targets included missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, ammunition storage facilities, communication networks and coa
  
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• Ex-Defence Chief urges veterans to continue national service beyond uniform

  12-07-2026 08:18 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Former Chief of Defence Staff, retired Adm. Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim, has urged retired military personnel to remain active contributors to national development.Ibrahim made the call at the 41st Anniversary Reunion Dinner of the 6th Regular Course Alumni Association of the Naval War College, on Saturday in Abuja.He said that retirement from service should not mean retirement from serving Nigeria, adding that experience, knowledge and leadership acquired during military service remained invaluabl
  
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• World Cup 2026: Senegal sack Pape Thiaw after disappointing campaign

  12-07-2026 08:13 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The Senegal Football Federation has dismissed head coach Pape Thiaw following the country’s underwhelming performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.The federation announced the decision on Saturday, saying a change in leadership was necessary after the Teranga Lions failed to meet expectations at the tournament.Senegal arrived at the World Cup with high hopes after lifting the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations title by defeating Morocco in the final earlier this year.However, their campaign unravel
  
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• People who believe Ronaldo is better than Messi are Psychos – Bovi

  12-07-2026 08:05 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Ayo OnikoyiAce comedian and compere, Bovi has described as “Psycho” anyone who believes that Portugal superstar Ronaldo is better than Argentine legend Leo Messi, admonishing that one should not go into business with them.Speaking during a live session on his Instagram page, the ace comedian said a person’s opinion on the Ronaldo-Messi rivalry could reveal how they perceive reality, joking that it should serve as a test before entering into a business partnership.“If
  
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• World Cup 2026: List of top scorers as Bellingham joins race

  12-07-2026 07:53 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The race for the top scorer award at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has intensified following the completion of the quarter-finals, with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe leading the scoring charts.Both superstars have netted eight goals each heading into the semi-finals, placing them at the top of the standings as they continue their pursuit of the tournament’s top scorer award.Norway striker Erling Haaland finished the competition with seven goals after his country’s quarter-final exit to E
  
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• World Cup 2026: Semi-final fixtures confirmed — date, time and venue

  12-07-2026 07:43 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The semi-final fixtures for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been confirmed following the conclusion of the quarter-final matches.England secured the final semi-final spot after defeating Norway 2-1 on Saturday night. Jude Bellingham scored both goals for the Three Lions to set up a mouthwatering clash with Argentina.Argentina, meanwhile, overcame Switzerland 3-1 after extra time to book their place in the last four.The first semi-final will see France take on Spain on Tuesday, July 14, at 9:00 p.m
  
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• No woman enters marriage planning to leave — Iyabo Ojo

  12-07-2026 06:19 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Ayo Onikoyi
  Nollywood actress and filmmaker Iyabo Ojo has opened up about marriage, divorce, motherhood and societal judgement, stating that no woman enters marriage with the intention of walking away.The actress made the revelation while appearing as a guest on The Morayo Show, where she reflected on her personal experiences and the decisions she has made to protect her family’s peace.According to Iyabo Ojo, women often go into marriage with the hope of building a lasting relationship
  
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• Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 to reach World Cup semi-finals

  12-07-2026 05:53 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Argentina set up a World Cup semi-final against England as Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez scored in extra time to propel the reigning champions to a 3-1 win over Switzerland on Saturday.Alvarez’s curling shot and Martinez’s tap-in settled a tense contest after Alexis Mac Allister had opened the scoring and Dan Ndoye equalised for the Swiss, who had Breel Embolo sent off in the second half.
  The post Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 to reach World Cup semi-finals appeared first on
  
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• ‘We put Norway on the map’, says Haaland after World Cup exit

  12-07-2026 05:13 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Erling Haaland said Norway’s World Cup performances had inspired a new generation despite the disappointment of a 2-1 quarter-final defeat to England after extra-time on Saturday.Haaland failed to score for the first time in 15 competitive games for his country in Miami as Jude Bellingham’s double fired England into the last four.The Manchester City striker had scored seven times in his four games at a major international tournament to carry Norway to the quarter-finals in their fir
  
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• TINUBU, ATIKU, OBI: Battle for North’s votes intensifies

  12-07-2026 05:11 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Luminous Jannamike, AbujaAbuja has a way of transforming seemingly routine political exchanges into conversations that echo far beyond the Federal Capital Territory. On any given day, the city’s hotels, private residences and political party offices double as informal negotiating tables where governors, former ministers, lawmakers and party strategists quietly take the measure of one another.  Alliances are tested over breakfast meetings, political futures are
  
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• The Eagle of Esanland: The leadership trajectory of Senator Joseph Ikpea

  12-07-2026 05:06 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Allison AbanumThe leadership path of Senator Joseph Igiagbe Ikpea, the lawmaker representing the Edo Central Senatorial District in the 10th National Assembly, can be beautifully captured by a profound adage native to the Esan dialect. The proverb tells of a resourceful individual who once used nothing more than a single feather from an eagle to prepare a pot of soup. Intriguingly, the soup turned out to be exceptionally delicious and deeply satisfying. This folk wisdom prompts a c
  
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• Tuchel says ‘lucky’ England must improve despite reaching World Cup semi-finals

  12-07-2026 04:55 via vanguardngr.com
  
  England manager Thomas Tuchel said his team were “lucky” to squeeze past Norway 2-1 after extra-time to reach the World Cup semi-finals, but praised “world-class” Jude Bellingham after his two goals dragged the Three Lions to victory.A furious Tuchel was in little mood to celebrate despite England reaching the last four for just the fourth time in history after Bellingham’s double overturned Andreas Schjelderup’s opener.“We made life very, very difficul
  
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• Understanding the nexus between facilities management and property value enhancement

  12-07-2026 04:50 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Funke TaiwoMaintenance or management of facilities plays an important role in extending the lifespan of properties, be it private, residential, commercial or industrial properties. Without these critical and very essential endeavors, buildings would fall into disrepair. It is within a building owner’s or manager’s best interests to perform proper maintenance or hire professionals to do so, in as much as a building is an asset, a process and a product which can be one of the best
  
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• PFIPC: Tinubu under pressure to drop ICPC inquiry, order independent investigation

  12-07-2026 04:44 via vanguardngr.com
  
  • ‘Gbaja should be suspended, the Presidency cannot investigate itself’By Gabriel EwepuThe controversy over alleged fake agency, Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, said to have been facilitated by Matthew Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claimed assistance from the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, has deepened as several CSOs and lawyers rejected the directive by President Bola Tinubu to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (
  
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• Igbo leaders warns against suppression of opposition, says it destroys democracy

  12-07-2026 04:40 via vanguardngr.com
  
   By Anayo OkoliThe Igbo Leaders of Thought (ILT), an elite assembly of Southeastern Nigerian intellectuals, traditional rulers and stakeholders, has condemned what it calls the systematic suppression of the opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that no democracy develops without a vibrant opposition.ILT cautioned that if the clampdown on the opposition is not urgently checked, it could seriously diminish the integrity of the 2027 general elections.The gr
  
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• Celebrating the world’s robotics guru Barth Nnaji @70

  12-07-2026 04:38 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Chukwudi EnekweChi (JP)I recall with nostalgia my visit to Professor Barth Nnaji at the University of Pittsburg, United States of America sometimes in November of 2000. As I was transiting from Columbia Missouri to New York, I put a call across to him and without much protocol he invited me over to the university. On my arrival at the Greyhound bus station, I was elated to behold this white damsels, who I later learnt was his secretary was on hand to receive and drive me to his expansiv
  
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• How idle tankers, inadequate parking bays keep Apapa, Kirikiri in constant gridlock

  12-07-2026 04:36 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Udeme Akpan, Energy EditorLagos’ Apapa and Kirikiri industrial corridors continue to experience recurring traffic gridlock, with industry stakeholders attributing the problem to the indiscriminate parking of petroleum tankers waiting for loading opportunities and the inadequate parking facilities provided by many tank farms and depots.Although government interventions and the electronic call-up system have significantly reduced the chaotic queues that once crippled Apapa, ope
  
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• Flooding: In Lekki, the rich also cry

  12-07-2026 04:31 via vanguardngr.com
  
  …as floods turn exclusive estates into ‘canals’•Inside story of losses, regrets •EYE WITNESS: I watched in awe as floodwater   carried two jeeps like paper
  •Coastal Road is culprit – RESIDENTSBy Juliet UmehOn a good day, the streets leading into some of Lekki’s most exclusive estates are lined with gleaming Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs), manicured lawns and multi-million-naira homes fitted with smart security systems an
  
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• Bellingham double as ‘lucky’ England beat Norway to reach World Cup semi-finals

  12-07-2026 04:31 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Jude Bellingham scored twice as England staged an extra-time escape act to defeat Norway 2-1 on Saturday and book their place in the World Cup semi-finals.Bellingham’s 93rd-minute winner settled a nerve-jangling quarter-final played in sweltering conditions at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.But England, who will face either Argentina or Switzerland in the semi-finals on Wednesday, rode their luck to keep their World Cup dream alive.“We made life very, very difficult for ourselves t
  
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• Let us pay attention, by Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi

  12-07-2026 04:21 via vanguardngr.com
  
  When I was young, there was a family who lived close to us on our street in the Fadeyi area of Lagos.  I will call the man of the family Mr Benson. He had a wife, Mrs Remi Benson. When they first arrived on our street, Mr Benson had a motorbike, and his wife would ride the bike with him on occasion. Later on, he could afford a Volkswagen car, and Mrs Benson proudly sat in the front with him. That was the first of many other cars Mr Benson would own.
  Mr Benson’s fortunes kept imp
  
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• Oyo shoolchildren: Blow-by-blow account of how they regained freedom

  12-07-2026 04:18 via vanguardngr.com
  
  •Military officer on rescue mission killed—Source•Army, Sanwo-Olu, Sultan, Atiku, Obi, Gani Adams, others speak By Dapo Akinrefon, Chioma Obinna, Olasunkanmi Akoni, Kingsley Omonobi, Deola Badru and Olayinka AjayiFresh facts have emerged, revealing the blow-by-blow account of the operation that led to the freedom of the 44 schoolchildren abducted in Oyo State.The pupils, who were kidnapped alongside seven of their teachers in their school, regained freedom on the
  
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• Fake agency: What does our senate know? By Tonnie Iredia

  12-07-2026 04:15 via vanguardngr.com
  
  The Federal Government of Nigeria and its officials led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as well as the Oyo State government and its relevant team led Governor Seyi Makinde deserve huge commendations from all Nigerians including this columnist for bringing to an end, the trauma of the abduction of pupils and teachers from their community in Oriire local government area of Oyo State since May 15, 2026. But for this huge achievement, the subject that would have remained the main matter of the
  
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• Perfection is of the Lord, by Funmi Komolafe

  12-07-2026 04:13 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Beloved, the month of July commonly called the month of perfection is progressing and many of us are looking up to God to perfect issues in our lives.Other preachers call the month of July, the month of completeness.The month in which whatever has been shaking in the last six months become stable.It is perceived as the month that gives one rest from worrisome issues.Whatever it is, no one wants to be permanently   held down with a challenge.We all want relief.The issue is, in wha
  
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• From maigadi  to megida in one administration, by Dele Sobowale

  12-07-2026 04:11 via vanguardngr.com
  
  “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable” – John F Kennedy, US President, 1917-1963If you don’t know that Nigeria is already involved in a violent revolution, then get ready to read the truth and tremble. Nigerian intellectuals have always asserted that “what is needed in this country is a revolution”. Unfortunately, they failed to recognise it when it arrived. The Nigerian political elite, like those in any
  
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• FREED OYO SCHOOLCHILDREN: Why surivors ‘won’t be handed over’ to Makinde until after 48 hrs

  12-07-2026 04:11 via vanguardngr.com
  
  By Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Adeola BadruThe Presidency, yesterday, disclosed that the schoolchildren and teachers rescued from Oriire community in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, will not be handed over to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State until after 48 hours because they are undergoing medical examinations.Responding to inquiries on whether and when the survivors would be presented to President Bola Tinubu, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, said
  
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• TYF lauds Tinubu over Oyo rescued hostages

  12-07-2026 01:02 via vanguardngr.com
  
  …insist lives lost during incident must not be forgottenBy Olayinka AjayiA Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Think Yoruba First, TYF, has President Bola Tinubu for the successful rescue of all the pupils and teachers abducted from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.The group however urged relevant authorities that the tragic loss of lives during this unfortunate incident must not be forgotten.In a statement, the group noted that the safe return of the victims after
  
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• Italy icon Maldini national team’s technical director

  12-07-2026 00:04 via vanguardngr.com
  
  Italian football icon Paolo Maldini has been appointed technical director of the national football federation (FIGC) looking to rebuild after Italy’s failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.“Maldini has always been my target,” said newly-appointed FIGC president Giovanni Malago.“I felt he was the right person to oversee the FIGC’s technical sector — a role that encompasses not just the senior national team, but the entire youth national team setu
  
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