Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji A major scandal has erupted at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) following allegations of abuse of office leveled against the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Owunari Abraham Georgewill. The accusations, contained in a petition addressed to the university’s Governing Council through the Pro-Chancellor, were made by Faith Etunem Nnenanya, a lecturer in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. In the petition dated January 14, 2025, followed by a reminder dated February 17,2025, Nnenanya accused the Vice-Chancellor of gross misconduct, abuse of office, dereliction of duty, misinformation, suppression and falsification of records, corruption, bias, and double standard. PLATFORM TIMES reports…

Daud Olatunji The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has issued a stern warning to the Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, urging him to respect the recent Court of Appeal judgment and halt plans to conduct local government elections on Saturday, February 22, 2025. Fagbemi’s statement, issued late Thursday, highlights that the proposed elections would be unconstitutional due to a recent court ruling reinstating locally elected officials. In his statement, Fagbemi referred to the February 10, 2025, judgment of the Court of Appeal in Akure, which reversed a previous Federal High Court ruling…

Daud Olatunji The President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has announced the donation of N8 billion to the former Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, popularly known as IBB Presidential Library, to be paid at a rate of N2 billion annually over the four-year period allocated for the project’s completion. A statement issued by the Headline, Media Relations, Brand and Communication, Sunday Esan stated that Dangote made this statement on Thursday during the unveiling of the book “A Journey in Service”, the autobiography of the former Head of State held in Abuja. PLATFORM TIMES reports…

President Bola Tinubu has revealed how former military leader General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) played a pivotal role in his political career, acknowledging that without IBB’s influence, he would not have ventured into politics. In a candid and emotional address at a book launch in Babangida’s honour in Abuja, Tinubu recounted a defining moment during the Babangida administration. Reflecting on the political turbulence of the era, the President shared a personal experience that shaped his own political ambitions. He recalled how IBB, during his tenure, repeatedly delayed the inauguration of elected officials, creating widespread uncertainty among politicians. Tinubu, known for…

A prominent Hajj monitoring and reporting organisation, Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), has called on the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to immediately refund the excess fares paid by intending pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj exercise due to recent exchange rate fluctuations. IHR has revealed that 26,287 confirmed intending pilgrims, who paid their Hajj fares before the February 10 deadline, are entitled to an average refund of N437,000 each. The call for a refund stems from an analysis of the Hajj fare template, which revealed that NAHCON initially calculated the cost of the 2025 pilgrimage based on an exchange rate…

A heated altercation erupted at the Senate on Thursday as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central protested against an unexpected seat change in the chamber. The drama unfolded when Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was moved from her designated seat in the second-to-last row of the minority section to the last row, without prior consent. The senator immediately resisted the change, insisting on returning to her former seat, which clashed with Senate regulations that require senators to sit in designated seats in order to be recognized. The situation escalated when the Senate Chief Whip,…

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday reflected on a pivotal moment when he boldly confronted former military leader, General Ibrahim Babangida, over what he described as a missed historic opportunity for Nigeria. The incident occurred during Babangida’s rule from 1985 to 1993, a period when Tinubu, then newly elected as a senator for Lagos West, faced a political standoff with the government. Speaking at a book launch in Babangida’s honour, Tinubu recounted the tense moment when he challenged the former military president for repeatedly postponing the inauguration of newly elected officials, including himself. “I’ll never forget,” Tinubu began. “You were…

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has reiterated its unwavering commitment to protecting depositors’ funds and ensuring the stability of the nation’s financial sector. This declaration was made by the corporation’s Managing Director, Bello Hassan, during the NDIC Special Day at the 46th Kaduna International Trade Fair on Thursday. Hassan, represented by the Kano Zonal Controller of NDIC, Ahmed Umar, emphasized the corporation’s key role in safeguarding bank customers, especially the most vulnerable. “For over three decades, the NDIC has played a critical role in protecting depositors and strengthening the financial system,” he stated. He highlighted the agency’s core responsibilities,…

Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, better known as Evans, the notorious billionaire kidnap kingpin, has sought a plea bargain before the Lagos State High Court, Tafa Balewa Square, claiming a complete transformation during his incarceration. The convicted criminal, who is serving time for multiple kidnapping charges, now asserts that he is no longer the man he once was—declaring himself a teacher of fellow prisoners at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre. In an emotional application before Justice Sherifat Sonaike, Evans revealed that he had earned a diploma in Economics from Yewa College of Education while in detention and had taken up teaching responsibilities for other…

Daud Olatunji Thirty-two years after the presidential election was annulled, former military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida has admitted in his long-awaited autobiography that he was wrong in annulling the June 12, 1993 presidential election. PLATFORM TIMES reports that the election which he now acknowledges was won by the late business mogul, Chief Moshood Abiola. Babangida’s admission was made public on Thursday, during the unveiling of his autobiography titled A Journey in Service; An Autobiography of Ibrahim Babangida. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the latest development sent ripples through the political landscape, re-opening discussions around one of Nigeria’s most controversial elections. Speaking…