Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji The Independent National Electoral Commission has rejected the recall petition against the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, stating that the petition failed to meet the constitutional requirement. In a statement issued on Thursday, April 3, 2025, INEC revealed that after reviewing the signatures and thumbprints submitted by petitioners, the total count stood at 208,132, which represents 43.86% of the 474,554 registered voters in the senatorial district. The statement said this falls short of the required 237,278 signatures needed for a valid recall, making the petition ineligible for further action under Section 69(a) of the 1999…

Feyisayo Ogunbiyi The Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria has commenced its 11th Triennial National Conference in Abeokuta, Ogun State, celebrating a remarkable 101 years of existence and unveiling strategic plans to position the Society for greater impact in the next century. The conference will also culminate in the election of new national officers to steer the organization’s affairs. Themed “Islam and Muslims: Responsibilities and Relevance in a Pluralistic World,” the event has drawn 843 delegates, Islamic scholars, and stakeholders from across Nigeria and the diaspora to discuss the Society’s evolving role in education, faith, and national development. Speaking at a press…

Daud Olatunji The University of Ilorin Alumni Association has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing three of its distinguished members into key leadership positions in the country. The appointees include Mrs. Kemi Nana Nandap, whose tenure as Comptroller General of Immigration has been extended until December 2026; Mr. Babs Omotowa, appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), representing the North Central; and Prof. James A. Aribisala, named as the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin-Ekiti. In a statement issued by the National President, Prof. AbdulRasaq Kilani, and National…

The World Bank has approved a total loan of $1.13 billion for Nigeria, aimed at funding projects focused on quality education, household and community resilience, and improved nutrition. According to details published on the bank’s website on Wednesday, the approval includes three separate financing requests granted in March. These include an $80 million loan for the ‘Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria 2.0’ project, a $552 million loan for the ‘HOPE for Quality Basic Education for All Programme,’ and a $500 million loan for the ‘Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus Programme.’ The latest approvals come as Nigeria continues…

Brigadier-General Maharazu Tsiga (rtd), former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has been released after 56 days in the hands of kidnappers. Tsiga, who was abducted on February 5, 2025, from his hometown in Bakori Local Government Area, Katsina State, regained his freedom on April 2, 2025. Sources confirmed that Tsiga was initially abducted alongside nine other individuals, sparking a wave of concern across the nation. Despite a significant ransom payment by his family, which reports indicate to be in the region of N180 million, Tsiga remained in captivity for weeks, leading to a tense standoff with the…

The Kano State Police Command has launched an investigation into the 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, over his alleged defiance of a police ban on durbar activities during the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations, which led to violence in the state. Kano State Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, on Wednesday, inaugurated an eight-member Special Investigation Panel (SIP) to examine the violence that erupted on Sunday, March 30, 2025, following the Emir’s Eid procession. A statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said the panel would uncover the root causes of the violence and determine…

The Edo State National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has controversially extended the service year of over 30 corps members by an additional 90 days without pay for airing grievances about their unpaid N77,000 allowance. This penalty follows their protests, which were shared in a WhatsApp group, raising concerns over the non-payment of their stipends. The affected corps members, who had completed their one-year mandatory service on March 17, 2025, were instead given a “Notification of Extension of Service” rather than their expected NYSC Discharge Certificates. Reports reveal that the extension stems from their complaints about the allowance, which were voiced…

A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced Okunfulure Olusola Steve to three months’ imprisonment for failing to declare $30,000 while attempting to board a flight to Atlanta, United States. The ruling was delivered by Justice Deinde I. Dipeolu on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, following the defendant’s guilty plea to a money laundering charge. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought a one-count charge against the defendant after his arrest on March 28, 2025, by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, during routine checks. Steve, a passenger on a Delta…

The Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, has upheld the electoral victory of Senator Monday Okpebholo, dismissing the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo. The tribunal’s ruling on Wednesday solidifies Okpebholo’s position as the duly elected governor of Edo State. Delivering the lead judgment, Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, declared that the three-member panel found no substantial grounds to nullify the governorship election conducted on September 21, 2024. The tribunal ruled that the petitioners failed to provide sufficient evidence to warrant overturning the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC)…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has debunked claims that it is introducing N5,000 and N10,000 banknotes, describing the report as false and misleading. In a statement posted on its official X handle on Wednesday, the apex bank urged Nigerians to disregard the report, which falsely attributed the move to a supposed Deputy Governor of the bank, Ibrahim Tahir Jr. “The content is not from the Central Bank of Nigeria. Kindly note that the official website of the CBN is cbn.gov.ng,” the statement read. The bank’s communications department further clarified that the CBN has not issued any directive regarding the…