Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The First Lady of Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu, has urged market women in Ebonyi State to refrain from hiking food prices as the festive season approaches. Tinubu made the plea on Saturday while addressing women during the 2024 Women’s Day Celebration held at the Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium, Abakaliki. According to a statement by her media aide, Busola Kukoyi, Tinubu acknowledged the support women in the state have received under Governor Francis Nwifuru’s administration, particularly in appointments and empowerment initiatives. “With the Yuletide season fast approaching, the First Lady appealed to market women to refrain from unfair hikes in prices…

The local government elections held across Ogun State on Saturday have sparked widespread outrage, with allegations of irregularities, voter intimidation, and outright fraud dominating the discourse. Olalekan Alex Shoyinka, the Chairmanship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) for Abeokuta South Local Government, has described the exercise as a “travesty of democracy” and “armed robbery” of the people’s mandate. In a strongly worded statement, Shoyinka accused the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) of colluding with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to disenfranchise voters and manipulate the election results. “What transpired today was not an election conducted by OGSIEC…

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described Nigeria’s current socio-economic state as dire, while urging renewed hope and decisive action to address the nation’s leadership challenges. Speaking at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum held at Yale University, Connecticut, USA, Obasanjo lamented the pervasive corruption and leadership failures he believes are responsible for Nigeria’s woes. In a keynote address titled “Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria,” Obasanjo, whose remarks were delivered via a pre-recorded video due to his presence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, painted a grim picture of Nigeria’s predicament. “The more the immorality and corruption of a nation,…

Daud Olatunji As the results of the local government election started to trickle in, the Ogun State Labour Party has outrightly rejected the results of the  election conducted in the state on Saturday, alleging gross irregularities and disenfranchisement of voters. Addressing journalists at an emergency press conference in Abeokuta, on Saturday, the state chairman of the Labour Party, Engr. Lookman Jagun, described the election as a “sham” orchestrated by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in collaboration with the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC). PLATFORM TIMES reports that there were complaints of both late arrival of electoral materials and…

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State has raised concerns over alleged irregularities in the local government elections, including the distribution of two result sheets to polling units and the late movement of election materials. The party questioned the credibility of the electoral process, citing delays in the delivery of materials, which could potentially disenfranchise many voters. Our correspondent observed that as of 7:32 am, election officials were still collecting materials from the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) office in Abeokuta, the state capital, just minutes before the scheduled start of voting at 8 am. Speaking with journalists,…

Daud Olatunji Residents of Ondo and Ogun states are set to make their voices heard today (Saturday) as they head to the polls for crucial elections. While Ondo State is conducting its off-cycle governorship election, Ogun State residents will vote to elect chairpersons for its 20 local government areas. The elections, scheduled for Saturday, November 16, 2024, have heightened political tension and drawn significant attention nationwide. For Ondo, this is the first governorship poll since the demise of former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, with incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa seeking to solidify his position. In Ogun, the focus shifts to local governance,…

The Supreme Court has dismissed a suit filed by 16 states challenging the constitutionality of the Acts establishing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU). The apex court ruled the case lacked merit. Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, who presided over a seven-member panel, held that the states’ argument against the legality of the EFCC Act was fundamentally flawed. Justice Abba-Aji clarified that the EFCC Act, enacted by the National Assembly, is not a treaty requiring ratification by state houses of…

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on Friday nullified the election of Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, as the National President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). The court upheld the re-election of Tajudeen Baruwa as the union’s legitimate president, affirming the March 11, 2024, judgment of the National Industrial Court. The appellate court’s decision, delivered by Justices Hamma Akawu Barka, Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba, and Asmau Ojuolape Akanbi, dismissed the appeal filed by MC Oluomo and others, describing it as “devoid of merit.” The court further imposed a cost of ₦100,000 against the appellants in…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned two Chinese siblings, Wang Jian and Wang Richard, alongside a Nigerian, Michael Berneth Agu, over allegations of illegal possession and exportation of mineral ore. The suspects were brought before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court, sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu, on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, illegal exportation, and unlawful possession of mineral ore. According to the charges filed by the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, the defendants were accused of attempting to export mineral ore without authorization and of being in possession of 15 pieces…

The Central Bank of Nigeria says it will heavily penalise banks with empty ATMs and those selling ‘mint’ cash to naira hawkers. The Central Bank of Nigeria says it will heavily penalise banks with empty ATMs and those selling ‘mint’ cash to naira hawkers. Solaja Olayemi, CBN’s acting director for the currency operations department, said this in a memo to DMBs on Friday. Mr Olayemi said that the CBN would engage in “mystery shopping” exercise and periodic “spot checks” on cash distribution and disbursement activities of DMBs to ascertain the source of such Naira notes. He said that the initiatives…