Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan, has assured Nigerians that the technical hitches that undermined the electronic transmission of results during the 2023 general election have been fully resolved ahead of the 2027 polls. Amupitan gave the assurance on Saturday while speaking at a citizens’ town hall on the Electoral Act 2026 held in Abuja, declaring that the commission had overhauled its technological framework to prevent a recurrence of the failure that trailed the upload of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal. The malfunction of the IReV portal during the 2023 presidential election…

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has defended the inclusion of both manual and electronic transmission of election results in the amended Electoral Act, saying the decision was taken to prevent voter disenfranchisement and deepen participation ahead of the 2027 general elections. Abbas said relying solely on real-time electronic transmission would exclude millions of Nigerians due to inadequate internet penetration and persistent power supply challenges across the country. The Speaker spoke at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja when he hosted the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, Felix Costales, during a courtesy visit over the weekend. According to…

The Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan has warned top officials of the Oyo State Government to comply immediately with its judgment reinstating the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state or risk being committed to prison for contempt. The warning was contained in a Form 48 – Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to Order of Court  issued in Appeal No. CA/IB/263/2022, arising from Suit No. NICN/IB/41/2021 between the NURTW and the Oyo State Governor alongside other government officials. Those served with the notice include the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, as well as the Commissioner for…

The Presidency on Sunday dismissed as false a viral video alleging that a chef attached to the Presidential Villa was arrested over a purported plot to poison Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The video, which circulated widely on social media over the weekend, claimed that heightened security measures were triggered within the Presidential Villa following intelligence reports of suspicious activities linked to food preparation in restricted areas. According to the narrator, a special police squad was said to have intervened swiftly after receiving what were described as credible alerts suggesting a possible threat to the President’s safety. The footage further alleged that…

Suspected fighters of Islamic State West Africa Province have attacked a military formation in Borno State, killing an Army Major and several other soldiers in a predawn assault on Sunday. Military sources said  that the insurgents stormed the Forward Operating Base at Banki junction along the Bama–Gwoza Road at about 4 a.m., opening fire on troops and triggering a fierce gun battle. The attackers, said to have advanced in multiple groups, reportedly overwhelmed the base after sporadic but intense gunfire, leaving a yet-to-be-confirmed number of casualties. Among those killed was a senior officer identified as Major U.I. Mairiga. The bodies…

No fewer than four persons have been confirmed dead, while 18 others sustained varying degrees of injuries following a stampede during the distribution of Ramadan Zakka in Kofar Guga Quarters, Katsina State. The tragic incident, which occurred around 9pm on February 26, threw the community into mourning as residents scrambled for safety amid a surging crowd at the residence of a philanthropist, Alhaji Dahiru Usman Sarki. Confirming the development in a statement on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Katsina State Police Command, Abubakar Aliyu, said a distress call was received at the Central Police Station in Katsina…

The Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, has charged Islamic societies and organisations to serve as vehicles for strengthening faith, deepening unity, enhancing political relevance and expanding social impact, warning against division and unhealthy rivalry within the Muslim community. Salako-Oyedele gave the charge on Sunday at the annual Mega Ramadan Lecture organised by the Coalition for Dawah Advancement, held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta. Speaking on the theme, “Mandate Abandonment: Repositioning the Islamic Mission,” the deputy governor said disunity weakens impact and fragmentation dilutes influence, stressing that Islamic organisations must avoid parallel efforts that pull them apart.…

…: Debt Stock Climbs To N77.8tn As Borrowing Surges …Interest Payments Rise Despite Naira Appreciation Daud Olatunji Nigeria paid N140.29 billion in interest on its domestic US dollar bond between January and September 2025, the Debt Management Office (DMO) has revealed, underscoring the rising cost of foreign-currency borrowing amid ongoing exchange rate pressures. The DMO’s Actual Domestic Debt Service report showed that the Federal Government made two interest payments on the FGN US Dollar Bond within the period—N67.99 billion in March and N72.31 billion in September—bringing the nine-month total to N140.29 billion. This figure formed part of the N6.06…

— A New Political Equation Ahead of 2027 By  Olalekan  Shoyinka (Ayinla Egba) As Ogun State steadily moves toward the 2027 governorship election, the political atmosphere is gradually transitioning from speculation to strategic positioning. Conversations that once revolved around possibilities are now taking definite shape through declarations, alignments, and quiet negotiations across the three senatorial districts. In my earlier interventions — “2027: A Clarion Call to Our Leaders and People in Egbaland” and “Let’s Talk: What Are the Likely Implications If Ogun State Has No Egba Governor in 2027?” — I raised fundamental questions about political realism, historical lessons, and…

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command on Saturday said it had successfully rescued a two-month-old baby boy after his alleged abductor was apprehended in a swift operation. DSP Timfon John, the Police Public Relations Officer, said the mother of the child, identified as Peace F., reported the abduction at about 8:28 a.m. on Thursday. Preliminary investigations revealed that the child had been left in the care of his grandmother for a short while. Upon returning, the mother discovered the baby missing. “Further enquiries revealed that 23-year-old Goodnews F., of Ikot Etetuk Village, allegedly tore the window net and took the…