Author: Platform Times Newspaper

… Judicial Challenges Loom As Disqualified Groups Protest Decision … African Alliance Party, Democratic Leadership Alliance Move To Final Registration Daud Olatunji The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has sparked fresh controversy in Nigeria’s political landscape by approving only two associations ; the African Alliance Party (AAP) and the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), for the final stage of political party registration, PLATFORM TIMES can report. The decision, which effectively excludes six other associations that had cleared earlier screening phases, has raised concerns over transparency and due process in the electoral umpire’s handling of party registrations. The party registration exercise, which…

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government (FG) have concluded renegotiations of the 2009 agreement, paving the way for a historic new deal set to take effect from January 1, 2026. The agreement, announced on December 23, 2025, addresses critical issues including the welfare of university lecturers, funding for public universities, and academic freedom. It marks the culmination of years of negotiations, delays, and industrial actions by university staff across the country. Confirming the development, the Chairman of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) branch of ASUU, Prof. Idou Keinde, told PLATFORM TIMES: “Yes, an agreement has…

Oba Kamilu Salami, the Ojibara of Bayagan-Ile in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, has regained his freedom after being held captive by armed men for 25 days. The traditional ruler was reportedly released on Tuesday around 7:00 pm, following the payment of a ransom by his family and members of his community, who mobilized resources both locally and from the diaspora. Alhaji Rafiu Ayinla Lawal, a senior member of the royal family, told PLATFORM TIMES that the first ransom payment, made after 15 days in captivity, failed to secure Oba Kamilu’s release. “We had to raise funds a…

An Enugu State High Court has sentenced two former bank officials, Sani Endurance Aferokhe and Hillary Odo, to various jail terms for diverting over ₦10.3 million belonging to bank customers, most of whom were pensioners. The conviction was handed down by Justice A.O. Onovo of the Enugu State High Court sitting at Independence Layout, following their prosecution by the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The EFCC had arraigned the duo on January 18, 2016, on a 15-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and stealing, relating to the unlawful diversion of funds from customers’ accounts…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that no Nigerian should be made to suffer, face violence or discrimination for practising their religion, insisting that religious freedom remains non-negotiable under his administration. In his 2025 Christmas goodwill message released on Tuesday, the President called for renewed commitment to religious tolerance, peaceful coexistence and national unity, stressing that faith must never become a source of division or conflict in the country. Tinubu urged Nigerians to draw lessons from the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, particularly the values of love, peace and compassion, which he said are essential for harmonious living in…

Renowned Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has dragged two individuals before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Kaduna, seeking their prosecution over an alleged Facebook publication he described as defamatory and capable of triggering public unrest. The cleric, in a criminal direct complaint filed at the Chief Magistrate Court sitting on Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Kaduna, accused the defendants, George Udom and Bello Isiaka, of conspiracy, attempted public disturbance and criminal defamation. According to court documents, Gumi alleged that the defendants, on Tuesday between 7am and 10am, published a post tagged “Breaking News” on their respective Facebook pages, claiming that the family…

Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has revealed that ex-President Muhammadu Buhari asked him only one critical question before approving the 2021 suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria: whether he had the capacity to enforce the decision. Mohammed disclosed this on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television, where he defended the controversial move that sparked nationwide and international criticism. According to him, the decision to suspend Twitter, now known as X, was not taken because the platform offended politicians or the political class, but due to what he described as persistent regulatory breaches and “reckless” conduct by…

…Universities, Hotels, Radio Station  Listed In Kebbi, Kano, Abuja …Son Arraigned On 16-Count Money Laundering Charge Daud Olatunji The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has traced 41 high-value properties allegedly linked to a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), with a combined estimated value of about N212.9bn. The properties, comprising hotels, residential buildings, schools, factories, lands, a radio station and a printing press, are spread across Kebbi and Kano states as well as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. According to documents sighted by PLATFORM TIMES on Wednesday, the anti-graft agency has also filed a…

Kano State was on Wednesday thrown into deep mourning following the sudden deaths of two serving members of the State House of Assembly, who reportedly passed away within minutes of each other. The lawmakers are Sarki Aliyu Daneji, who represented Kano Municipal Local Government Area, and Aminu Sa’adu, the lawmaker for Ungoggo Local Government Area. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that news of Sa’adu’s death broke first, sending shockwaves through the Assembly and across the state. Barely minutes later, Daneji was also confirmed dead, compounding the grief and disbelief among colleagues, government officials and residents. The death of Daneji was officially confirmed…

A student of the National Open University of Nigeria, Michael Coker, has died after collapsing during an examination at the institution’s Victoria Island Study Centre, Lagos, raising serious concerns over emergency response protocols at the facility. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the incident occurred around 11am on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, shortly after students had entered the examination hall to begin their papers. Eyewitnesses alleged that Coker collapsed suddenly while standing in the hall and was left unattended for several minutes as he gasped for breath, amid claims that an invigilator prevented students from offering immediate assistance. A student, identified simply…