Author: Platform Times Newspaper

 In a remarkable display of legislative commitment, Hon. Afolabi Afuape, the Member of the House of Representatives representing Abeokuta South Federal Constituency, has empowered 854 constituents with N100,000 each, alongside providing various empowerment tools aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and skill acquisition. The event, held at the iconic Ake Palace in Abeokuta, marks another milestone in Afuape’s ongoing efforts to address the needs of his people. The empowerment initiative was one of the major highlights of the day, which saw numerous beneficiaries receive cash gifts and professional tools, including motorcycles, sewing machines, and hair dryers, to enhance their livelihood. This gesture…

A coalition of civil society organisations has sounded the alarm over Nigeria’s deepening fiscal crisis, revealing that the country loses over $18 billion annually to illicit financial flows while more than 70 per cent of its revenue is currently spent on debt servicing. The disclosure was made in a policy paper titled “Financing for Development in Nigeria: Sectoral Context and Insights for the Fourth International Conference”, released in Abuja ahead of the United Nations’ Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), scheduled to hold in Seville, Spain on June 30, 2025. The report was coordinated by the Civil Society…

Amid widespread public outrage over poor performance and alleged technical glitches in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board will on Thursday convene an emergency review meeting with heads of tertiary institutions and education stakeholders. An official document obtained  on Monday revealed that vice-chancellors, provosts, rectors, principals, examiners, and technical experts have been invited to assess the conduct and outcome of the examination. The meeting, which follows last Friday’s release of results showing over 75 per cent of candidates scored below 200, is expected to probe complaints of system failures, incomplete questions, and possible scoring…

National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has launched a scathing public attack on prominent members of the party, including its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, warning that he will expose damning secrets if the ongoing internal rift continues. In a viral video broadcast by Symfoni on Tuesday, Abure challenged Obi and other former aspirants to present evidence of financial support they allegedly rendered to him or the party during the last general elections. He insisted he never received a personal dime from any of them, and that the recent accusations of corruption against the party leadership are baseless…

There is heightened tension in Borno State following a series of coordinated attacks by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) on four military bases between Monday and Tuesday. PLATFORM TIMES reports that the insurgents launched separate assaults on military formations in Marte, Dikwa, Rann, and Gajiram, killing at least a dozen soldiers and carting away military vehicles and equipment. In the first attack, suspected ISWAP fighters stormed the 153 Task Force Battalion base in Marte Local Government Area in the early hours of Monday. Sources told our correspondent that the attackers infiltrated the town from multiple…

The Lagos State Government has sealed 35 supermarkets across the state for selling expired products between January and April 2025. Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperative, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose, made this known on Tuesday during a ministerial press briefing to commemorate the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office. Ambrose said the enforcement action was part of ongoing efforts to ensure consumer safety and protect public health in Lagos. She explained that in addition to the closures, several other stores were sanctioned and fined for stocking expired goods in violation of consumer protection laws. “The Lagos…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that no amount of criticism will deter his administration from implementing policies he believes are in the best interest of the nation. Tinubu made the remark on Tuesday at the public presentation of Being True To Myself, an autobiography authored by former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido. The event, held at the NAF Conference Centre in Abuja, drew a gathering of political leaders and statesmen. Represented by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the president reaffirmed his commitment to difficult but necessary reforms. “The president welcomes constructive criticism at all times…

The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed as false and misleading, viral social media claims that one of its helicopters was used to deliver food items to armed bandits in Kogi State. In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police clarified that the viral video being circulated actually depicted a legitimate security operation carried out in the Obajana area of the state. “Contrary to the misleading and false narrative suggesting that the aircraft was used to deliver food items to bandits, the Force categorically states that the video captures a legitimate security…

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has warned that parts of the country could experience as many as 290 days of rainfall in 2025, alongside prolonged dry spells and erratic seasonal patterns. In its 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction released on Monday, the agency revealed that coastal states such as Lagos, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom will record the longest rainy season, spanning between 250 and 290 days. Southern inland states—Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti, Osun, Ebonyi, Anambra, and Enugu—are expected to experience between 200 and 250 days of rainfall, while central states could see 150 to 200 days. Northern states…

The House of Representatives on Tuesday rejected a constitutional amendment bill seeking to divest the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its statutory powers to register and regulate political parties in Nigeria. The bill, co-sponsored by the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, and Hon. Francis Waive, proposed transferring the power to the Office of the Registrar-General of Political Parties. However, following a heated debate and a voice vote presided over by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, the bill failed to secure the majority’s support. Lawmakers also voted down six other bills aimed at amending key provisions of the 1999 Constitution.…