Author: Platform Times Newspaper

As Nigerian Muslims join their counterparts worldwide to mark the beginning of the Islamic New Year, Hijrah 1447 A.H, the Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN) has renewed its call on the Federal and state governments to declare Muharram 1, the first day of the Islamic calendar, as a national public holiday. In a statement signed and released on Thursday by its National President, Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the MMPN said the recognition of the Islamic New Year as a work-free day would promote fairness and religious inclusion, mirroring the public holiday granted to Christians every January 1 in observance of…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that 110 political associations have officially submitted letters of intent seeking registration as political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections. Among the top associations is the Obidient Peoples Party (OPP), stirring public interest due to its apparent allusion to the widely popular “Obidient Movement” that gained momentum in support of Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, during the 2023 polls. According to a document released by INEC on Wednesday, the protem chairman of the OPP is Barry Avotu Johnson. The group has listed its operational headquarters as No. 3 Mekanbo Close,…

President Bola Tinubu has described opposition leaders attempting to form a new political coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections as “political internally displaced persons (IDPs)” seeking relevance. Speaking on Wednesday during the inauguration of legacy projects in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, Tinubu dismissed the emerging coalition as an unserious and premature political adventure aimed at destabilising his administration. The president was in the state at the invitation of Governor Abdullahi Sule, whose administration he praised for prudent management of state resources and commitment to development. Tinubu’s comments come days after former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Kaduna State…

A traditional ruler (Baale) in Laaagba community, Ondo East Local Government area of Ondo State,Chief Adeniyi Ifedayo has been arrested by the State Police Command for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl. Chief i Ifedayo, was reported to have lured the girl into his house in the community and harboured her in the house for two weeks where he sexually assaulted her. Recounting her ordeal, the minor, who is currently recuperating in an undisclosed health facility in Ondo town, said she was lured to the house of the monarch by a commercial motorcycle rider in the community. “The Baale kept me…

A Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri has sentenced controversial activist, Aisha Alkali Wakil, popularly known as Mama Boko Haram, to another 14 years imprisonment over an N11 million contract scam. Wakil, along with Tahiru Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Shoyode, was convicted on Wednesday by Justice Aisha Kumaliya, who found them guilty of two counts of conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretence. The trio, who operated under the non-governmental organisation Complete Care and Aid Foundation, was initially arraigned on September 14, 2020, by the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). According to…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that Nigeria’s recovery from economic hardship and national stagnation is possible — but only if state governors abandon excuses and embrace the urgent task of delivering good governance. Speaking during an official visit to Nasarawa State on Wednesday, Tinubu said Nigeria’s transformation would remain a mirage unless governors across the country begin to govern with vision, discipline, and a people-first approach. The president, who was in Lafia to commission a series of infrastructure projects executed by Governor Abdullahi Sule, praised the Nasarawa leader for aligning with the ideals of the Renewed Hope Agenda. “In…

Two female sales attendants abducted from an Agro Vet shop in Ilero, Kajola Local Government Area of Oyo State, have been rescued by the state police command following a coordinated operation involving security agents and local vigilante groups. The victims, who were kidnapped in the late hours of Wednesday, at the Oke-Are area of Ilero, were safely recovered six days later on Tuesday, without harm, according to a statement issued by the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adewale Osifeso. Osifeso disclosed that the successful rescue was the result of a swift tactical response involving the intelligence unit of the…

The former Chief Finance Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Umar Isa, has denied being arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with an alleged $7.2 billion refinery rehabilitation fraud. Contrary to widespread media reports, Isa said he was not picked up by operatives of the anti-graft agency, but rather submitted himself voluntarily for questioning in Abuja. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Isa described the claims of his arrest over the massive financial scandal involving the Warri, Port Harcourt, and Kaduna refineries as “unfounded” and an attempt to smear his reputation. “Nobody…

In a bid to reshape Nigeria’s political landscape and stimulate civic awakening, Segun Sowunmi’s citizen-led political movement, The Alternative, is set to hold its South-West regional town hall meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Thursday, July 3. The town hall, part of a national consultative tour, is designed to mobilise citizens across the six South-West states for a fresh political direction centred on public accountability, inclusive governance, and visionary leadership. Sowunmi, a former governorship aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State and a respected political strategist, said the initiative aims to create an open platform where Nigerians…

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former spokesperson to Atiku Abubakar, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has congratulated the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, on his 60th birthday, while urging him to intensify efforts on environmental reforms in the state. In a goodwill message personally signed by him on Tuesday, Showunmi commended Sanwo-Olu’s achievements as he begins the final lap of his second term, but stressed the urgent need for the governor to “take off the gloves” and prioritise the sanitisation of Lagos’ built environment. “Happy Birthday, Gov Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu — not bad for 60. The…