Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Grace Adeleke The Independent National Electoral Commission has commenced another phase of its logistical preparations for the 2027 General Election in Ondo State with the delivery of non-sensitive election materials. The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr Mutiu Agboke, took delivery of the materials on Wednesday as the commission stepped up preparations for the nationwide elections. The materials, according to the commission, are part of its ongoing arrangements to ensure that essential electoral items are available ahead of the polls. The items are expected to be distributed to the commission’s offices across the 18 Local Government Areas of Ondo…

Former Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has presented better plans for Nigeria than any president he has encountered in nearly four decades of active participation in the country’s politics. Masari made the assertion while speaking at a public function in Kaduna, where he urged Nigerians to look beyond criticisms of the Tinubu administration and assess its plans and policies. The former governor, who also served as Speaker of the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2007, said his assessment was informed by his long experience in Nigerian politics. “I can confidently say I…

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has warned politicians and public office holders against using allegedly stolen or corruptly obtained public funds to sponsor Muslims and Christians on pilgrimages to Mecca and Jerusalem. The Sultan said religious obligations could not legitimise proceeds of corruption, stressing that money obtained through dishonest means would not become acceptable merely because it was spent on religious activities. Abubakar spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at the opening of a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, NIREC, with the theme, “Shared Sacred Flourishing in Nigeria.” The Sultan said religious leaders had…

The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) and the Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria (SCIAN) have renewed calls on the Ogun State Government to fully operationalise the state’s Disability Law, nearly nine years after it was assented to by the then Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. The groups made the demand on Wednesday during a joint press briefing held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat, Abeokuta, under the theme, “From Law to Action: Implement the Ogun State Disability Law.” The advocacy was supported by the Disability Rights Fund. Speaking on behalf of the organisations, the National…

The Code of Conduct Bureau has disclosed that it has investigated and verified the assets declared by more than 20 ministers and 30 permanent secretaries as part of an intensified drive to detect unexplained wealth and strengthen accountability among public officers. The CCB Chairman, Abdullahi Bello, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at an anti-corruption and asset-tracing stakeholders’ workshop organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda in collaboration with the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa. Bello said the bureau had moved beyond its traditional role of receiving asset declaration forms, explaining that it now examines declarations, investigates suspected…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared the former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina, wanted over an alleged case of receiving stolen properties. The EFCC made the declaration in a fresh notice issued on Wednesday, identifying Maina, 61, as an indigene of Biu, Borno State, and publishing his photograph. The commission urged anyone with information capable of assisting in locating him to contact its offices or the nearest police station. The latest development comes against the backdrop of Maina’s previous conviction for money laundering and a separate criminal trial in which he is…

…Beneficiaries saved ₦2.6bn, accessed over ₦4bn loans in seven months — Abiodun Zainab Abioye The Ogun State Government, in partnership with the Federal Government and the World Bank, has commenced the disbursement of a ₦6bn Community Investment Fund to 3,855 Women Affinity Groups across four local government areas under the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up. The intervention, according to the state government, is designed to expand women-led businesses, increase household incomes and strengthen the economic resilience of women and their families. Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Ijebu-Ode, Governor Dapo Abiodun, represented by the immediate past Commissioner for Women Affairs…

The Osho Igbein Mekun Ruling House of Egba Alake has celebrated the 160th anniversary of Ayikondu Day with a colourful display of Egba cultural heritage, traditional symbols and historical remembrance in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The two-day programme, organised through the family of Balogun Osho Ayikondu, was held at the Balogun Osho Ayikondu Family Compound, beside Mrs Petrol Station, Grammar School, Isale Igbein, Abeokuta. The annual Ogun Ajobo Ilu Igbein Egba Land Festival was held on Monday, September 21, 2026, while the 160th Ayikondu Day followed on Tuesday, September 22. The celebrations brought together members of the Osho Ayikondu family, traditional…

… BudgIT Urges Nigerians To Track Every Naira Sent To Councils — Only 17 Of 191 Water, Sanitation Projects In Cross River, Kano Funded Daud Olatunji Local Government Councils received a staggering ₦3.04tn from the Federation Account Allocation Committee between January and June 2026, but a BudgIT Foundation analysis has raised fresh concerns about whether public funds are translating into tangible services and infrastructure at the grassroots. The civic-tech organisation has consequently urged Nigerians to move beyond simply knowing how much money their councils receive and begin tracking how the funds are budgeted, released, spent and ultimately converted into projects…

Ayomide Awe Senate President Godswill Akpabio has rejected calls for President Bola Tinubu to formally transfer presidential powers to Vice-President Kashim Shettima, insisting that there is no vacancy in the presidency and that Tinubu remains in charge of the country. Akpabio made the position known on Tuesday in Akwa Ibom State amid renewed debate over the constitutional implications of Tinubu’s extended stay outside Nigeria. Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for London before proceeding to Paris on what the Presidency described as a three-week working vacation. The Presidency subsequently announced that his return had been extended by a few days…