Author: Platform Times Newspaper

A group under the aegis of Concerned Nigerian Citizens has petitioned the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), raising alarm over alleged procedural irregularities and questionable administrative arrangements ahead of the Osun State governorship election. In the petition dated and received at INEC headquarters in Abuja, the group accused the electoral body of deploying what it described as “controversial procedural arrangements” that could allegedly favour certain political parties and undermine the credibility of the poll. The petitioners claimed that some of the operational decisions being taken by electoral authorities “raise serious concerns about neutrality, fairness and transparency,” warning…

… Says Execution Now Key As Growth Phase Begins The Federal Government has ruled out any reversal of ongoing economic reforms, declaring that the focus has now shifted from policy stabilisation to full-scale execution aimed at driving growth, attracting investment, and improving living standards. The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, gave the assurance on Thursday at the launch of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) Private Sector Outlook 2026 in Lagos, where he warned that policy inconsistency could undermine investor confidence and slow down economic recovery. According to him, the government would maintain…

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that commercial banks in Nigeria are subject to the regulatory authority of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, affirming the commission’s powers to investigate consumer complaints against financial institutions. Justice James Omotosho delivered the judgment on Wednesday, dismissing a suit filed by United Bank for Africa Plc challenging the FCCPC’s jurisdiction over its operations. The court also imposed a N2m fine on the bank, describing the suit as frivolous. In the case marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1972/2025, UBA had argued that, as a bank licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, it was not…

The Nigerian Communications Commission has directed telecommunications operators to compensate subscribers with airtime for poor network services recorded across the country, in a move to strengthen consumer protection and enforce service standards. The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, disclosed this on Thursday during a media briefing, stating that the directive followed verified breaches of minimum quality of service benchmarks by service providers. Maida clarified that the compensation was not a refund from the regulator but a mandatory obligation imposed on telecom operators for failing to meet required performance standards. According to him, the compensation will cover…

A former Ogun State governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, Iyabo Obasanjo, has alleged that her supporters were assaulted and denied access during the process that produced the party’s consensus candidate for the 2027 election. Obasanjo, daughter of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, raised the concerns in a statement on Thursday, days after the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, announced Senator Solomon Adeola as the APC’s preferred governorship candidate. The governor had unveiled Adeola at a caucus meeting in Abeokuta on April 13, saying the decision followed wide consultations aimed at ensuring party unity and continuity ahead of…

The Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Mainasara Umar Kogo, has dismissed allegations of corruption, nepotism and abuse of office levelled against him, describing them as “blatant lies” and “misconceptions” allegedly fuelled by aggrieved staff members. Kogo, who spoke in an audio response to recent reports alleging irregularities in the tribunal, including nepotistic recruitment, manipulation of judicial decisions and administrative misconduct, insisted that due process is strictly followed in all tribunal operations. He specifically denied claims that he altered rulings of a three-member panel after court proceedings, stressing that decisions are collectively reached and signed by all panel…

Youth members of the African Democratic Congress on Thursday staged a protest in Benue State, calling for the resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, over the commission’s refusal to recognise the party’s leadership. The demonstrators, led by the party’s National Youth Leader, Balarabe Rufai, marched to the INEC office in Makurdi, where they submitted a formal complaint, warning that the commission’s stance could undermine democratic participation ahead of the 2027 general elections. Addressing protesters, Rufai faulted INEC’s position, describing it as unacceptable and detrimental to the party’s structure. He said, “As it stands,…

Gunmen have abducted a Lagos-based woman, Olanike Ogundare, from her residence in the Ijedodo area of the state, with her captors demanding a ransom of N60 million in United States dollars for her release. It was  gathered that the victim was whisked away in the early hours of Thursday at about 1:00 a.m. from her home located at No. 1 Olufemi Ogundare Street, Oke Agaye, Ijedodo. Residents of the area said the armed assailants stormed the premises in a coordinated operation, overpowering the security guard on duty at gunpoint before taking the woman to an unknown destination. Family sources disclosed…

The simmering political contest ahead of the 2027 general elections in Ogun State intensified on Thursday as leaders of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun East Senatorial District, under the aegis of the BAT/OGD Movement, accused rival forces within the party of intimidation, manipulation of consensus 2027 Battle Brews In Ogun As BAT/OGD Faults Abiodun Consensus, Police Deployment, and misuse of security agencies. At a press conference in Ijebu Ode, the Director-General of the movement, Gen. Olumuyiwa Okunowo (retd.), flanked by Deputy DG, Otunba Tayo Onayemi, Otunba Fatai Sowemimo, and Akogun Kola Onanidipe, alleged a “coordinated attempt to subvert internal…

The Interim National Chairman of the Labour Party, Nenadi Usman, has said it is “legally impossible” for the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to return and secure its ticket for the 2027 general election Usman stated this on Thursday, during an interview on Arise Television, explaining that the party had already complied with electoral regulations by closing its membership register ahead of its primaries. According to her, once the register is closed and submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, no new aspirant can be admitted into the process. “At some point, we close the register. Once we close…