Author: Platform Times Newspaper

…Back Ojulari to Rebuild NNPCL Leading experts in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry have taken a swipe at successive governments for what they described as decades of systemic mismanagement, flawed economic policies, and political interference that have crippled the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the nation’s oil sector at large. The trio—Emeritus Professor of Petroleum Economics, Prof Wunmi Iledare; former NNPC Executive, Dr Timothy Okon; and Energy Consultant, Engr. Emeka Ene—agreed that a faulty governance structure imposed since the mid-1990s reduced NNPCL to a conduit for unsustainable policies and reckless depletion of oil revenues. They made their submissions…

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ruled that former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, has a case to answer in the alleged N5.2 billion fraud leveled against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Justice Obiora Egwuatu gave the ruling on Tuesday while dismissing a no-case submission filed by the embattled ex-registrar. Ojerinde is facing an 18-count charge bordering on alleged diversion of public funds, abuse of office, and corrupt enrichment during his tenure as head of both JAMB and the National Examinations Council (NECO). In…

Nine Chinese nationals have been sentenced to one-year imprisonment each by a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, for their roles in cyber-terrorism and internet-related crimes. The convicts — Li Dong, Deng Wei Qiang, Huang Bo, Xiong Zhen, Lai Rui Feng, Zhao Xiao Hui, Lui Hai Rong, Lui Gang, and Du Ji Feng — were among the 792 suspects apprehended during the December 2024 raid codenamed “Eagle Flush Operation” conducted by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Initially arraigned in February 2025 on separate one-count charges bordering on cyber-terrorism and online fraud, the defendants had pleaded…

Tomiwa Olanbiwoninu The Nigerian Senate is set to introduce legislation that will make the annual presidential address on June 12 — Nigeria’s Democracy Day — a permanent feature of the country’s democratic calendar. Senate Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, made this known on Tuesday while addressing journalists at the National Assembly complex in Abuja. He said the bill, when presented, would require the President to address a joint session of the National Assembly every June 12. According to him, the move is aimed at reinforcing the historic and symbolic significance of the day, which commemorates the annulled June 12, 1993,…

Daud Olatunji Amid growing political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and ex-Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai are in advanced talks to unveil a new political coalition, with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) being considered as the platform of choice. Multiple sources familiar with the development told PLATFORM TIMES that the trio, alongside other key political actors, met earlier this week to finalize discussions on forming a “formidable” opposition alliance. While a Bloomberg report suggested that the leaders have unanimously agreed to adopt the ADC as the…

The Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta, has joined a host of eminent Nigerians in mourning the death of Chief Olatunde Ayinla Abudu, OFR, MFR—an illustrious industrialist, philanthropist, and educationist—who passed away on Monday, June 9, 2025, at the age of 96. Chief Abudu, the Mayegun of Egbaland and Oke-Ona Egba, was described by the institution as a visionary leader whose immense contributions to education and community development left an enduring legacy. In a tribute signed by the Rector, Arc. Dr. B. Adekoyejo Jolaoso, the polytechnic community expressed deep sorrow over the demise of one of its earliest benefactors and Fellowship…

Daud Olatunji  Former Ogun State Governor and Senator representing Ogun Central, Ibikunle Amosun, has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of foremost industrialist, philanthropist and elder statesman, Chief Olatunde Ayinla Abudu,  describing his death as “the fall of a giant in the waters of Nigeria’s history.” Chief Abudu, who died in the early hours of Monday, June 9, 2025, at the age of 96, was hailed by Amosun as a symbol of integrity, service and statesmanship whose legacy would remain a guiding light for future generations. In an emotional tribute titled “Eja nla lo lomi: The passing of a great…

The Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Hannatu Musawa, has described the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta as a national treasure and a model for Nigeria’s cultural and creative development. Musawa made this known during her recent visit to the library as part of efforts to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda for the culture and creative economy sector. She said the visit was aimed at learning from the OOPL model and exploring ways to replicate its success in other parts of the country, starting with the proposed Abuja Creative City. “We are trying to build…

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has thrown its weight behind Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the authentic national secretary of the party, while calling for the zoning of the 2027 presidential ticket to the southern region. The group, which includes three former governors — Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Samuel Ortom (Benue) — made the resolution public after a strategic meeting in Abuja on Monday night. Reading a communiqué on behalf of the group, Wike said, “We unequivocally affirm Senator Anyanwu as the truly elected…

A notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, has reportedly issued a fresh threat to farming communities in Zamfara and parts of Niger State, demanding a staggering N50 million before allowing residents to cultivate their farmlands this rainy season. Security analyst, Bakatsine, disclosed this development on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday, raising alarm over the worsening state of insecurity in Nigeria’s rural North. According to the post, the affected communities span from Tsalaken Gulbi in Fakai village, under Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara, extending to Qaya, a village close to the Niger State border. Turji reportedly warned that…