Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on the National Assembly to amend the 1999 Constitution to establish Sharia Courts across all South-Western states, and to recognise Friday as a public holiday for Muslim worshippers. The group made the demands during the South-West Zonal Public Hearing on the ongoing constitutional review held in Lagos. Representing the Executive Director of MURIC, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, was Dr. Jamiu Busari, who made a robust case for legal and religious reforms in favour of the Muslim population. Busari argued that the absence of Sharia Courts in the Southwest—despite what he described as a “significant…

The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has officially declared his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State, reigniting his political aspirations after two previous unsuccessful attempts. Adelabu made the declaration during a strategic consultation with All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders and stakeholders across Ogbomoso and Oyo zones on Friday. The high-level meetings, which were part of his early mobilisation efforts, held at the residence of prominent APC leader, Ayoade Adeseun, in Ogbomoso. Addressing party stalwarts and supporters, the former Central Bank Deputy Governor appealed for unity within the party and urged aggrieved members to forgive past…

Daud Olatunji  The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has rejected in strong terms the recent circular issued by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) reviewing allowances for medical and dental officers in the federal public service. The controversial circular, dated June 27, 2025, with reference number SWC/S/04/S.218/III/646, was described by NARD as “obnoxious, preposterous, and a slap in the face of Nigerian doctors” who are already grappling with harsh working conditions and a broken health system. In a statement jointly signed by the association’s President, Dr. Osundara Tope, and Secretary-General, Dr. Odunbaku Kazeem Oluwasola, NARD said the…

As constitutional reform efforts gather momentum, the Senate Committee on Constitution Review (CRC) has announced the receipt of 49 fresh proposals for the creation of new states and local government areas (LGAs) across the country, ahead of its zonal public hearings holding from July 4 to 5. According to a statement issued on Thursday by the media office of the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, the committee has received 31 separate proposals for state creation and 18 for new LGAs from diverse ethnic and interest groups across Nigeria. The public hearings, a major phase in the ongoing constitutional amendment process,…

The Nigerian Senate has declared that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan will not be reinstated immediately despite a Federal High Court ruling overturning her six-month suspension, insisting that she must meet certain conditions before returning to the Red Chamber. Justice Binta Nyako, who delivered judgment on Friday in Abuja, ruled that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension was excessive and unconstitutional, stressing that the prolonged absence of a senator amounted to denying her constituents the right to representation. The judge, however, also found the lawmaker guilty of contempt over a social media post and imposed a N5 million fine. Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central under the Peoples…

Daud Olatunji The World Bank has issued a stern warning that investors are increasingly pulling back from debt-laden economies like Nigeria, citing unsustainable debt levels and poor growth projections. In a blog post titled “The Looming Global Debt Disaster” released on Friday, the global lender said the escalating debt situation is forcing many developing nations—including Nigeria—to divert scarce resources away from critical sectors such as education, health, and infrastructure to service rising interest obligations. According to the World Bank, total global debt is now nearly 25 per cent higher than it was at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with…

Senator Gbenga Daniel, representing Ogun East and a former governor of Ogun State,  has said the natives of Ogun State have reached an agreement for the creation of a new state from the old Ijebu province to be named Ijebu-Remo. Daniel, who had, in November 2024, sponsored the bill for the establishment of the state from the old Ijebu province, comprising the Remo and Ijebu divisions, said the new name was decided upon at a meeting of the Remo Traditional Council on Thursday. All traditional rulers in Remoland attended. Presenting his address on Friday at the public hearing on the…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has stirred fresh controversy by accusing former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi’s wife, Judith, of benefiting from a questionable NDDC contract worth N4 billion monthly and calling on President Bola Tinubu to make public the long-suppressed forensic audit report of the commission. Wike, who made the explosive allegations during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, said the NDDC audit, commissioned under former President Muhammadu Buhari, contains damning revelations linking a company allegedly owned by Judith Amaechi to an annual payout of N48 billion under the guise of training…

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has declared that no system disturbance or national grid collapse occurred in the first quarter of 2025, despite persistent fluctuations in grid frequency and voltage levels. In its newly released Q1 2025 report, the commission stated emphatically, “There was no incidence of system disturbance on the National Grid in 2025/Q1.” The statement comes amid continued concerns over grid reliability and contradicts earlier reports by electricity distribution companies alleging a nationwide outage on February 12. While the commission maintained that the grid remained operational throughout the period, it admitted that critical system parameters consistently operated…

An Anambra State court has remanded a 72-year-old medical doctor and two women for allegedly abducting and trafficking a seven-year-old boy, in what authorities describe as a deeply disturbing case of child theft and illegal sale. The defendants, identified as Dr. Daniel Ikebuilo, aged 72; Ifunanya Ogbonna, 23; and Chidiogo Ogbonna, 20, were arraigned before the Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Offences Court sitting in Awka on Thursday. They pleaded not guilty to a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, child stealing, and unlawful sale of a minor. Presiding Chief Magistrate, Mrs. U.E. Onochie, ordered that the accused be remanded at…