Author: Platform Times Newspaper

At least five people have been killed in a series of attacks by gunmen in three Anambra State communities enforcing a previously abolished sit-at-home order. The attacks, which occurred on Monday morning, targeted the Abatete, Abagana, and Ukpo communities, leaving residents in shock and panic. Sources revealed that the gunmen, suspected to be enforcing the sit-at-home order initially declared by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), struck between 8 am and 10 am. The assailants also set vehicles ablaze and warned residents to observe the banned directive. The attacks reportedly claimed the lives of vigilante personnel and civilians, with…

Most times beyond what we read in the media about agencies of governments; we should pay attention to data and ask questions about the economy. Even though, few of the tax collectors and Custom Officers may not be professional but FIRS and Customs stands out in Nigeria as Agencies of lifeblood and lifeline. 1. From ancient times, Tax collectors are looked at as corrupt people, whereas they are the lifeline and lifeblood of the economy. 2. They take risk to pursue people and collect tax from them. 3. In Yoruba Language, we say Gentleness does not take palm kernel seed…

Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been declared the winner of the Ondo State governorship election in a landslide victory, solidifying his position as the Sunshine State’s leader for the next four years. The Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, who also serves as the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, made the announcement at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation center in Akure on Sunday. Aiyedatiwa polled 366,781 votes, outpacing his closest rival, Ajayi Agboola of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who managed 117,845 votes. The APC candidate swept all 18 local government…

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Akinloye Owolabi Olakunlehin, Ige Olakulehin 1, has commended the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, for his unwavering commitment to promoting religious tolerance in Nigeria. Oba Olakunlehin gave the commendation on Sunday when the Sultan paid him a courtesy visit at his palace in Oke Aremo, Ibadan. The monarch, speaking through the Ekaarun Balogun of Ibadanland, High Chief (Senator) Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, praised the Sultan for his pivotal role as co-chairman of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC). A statement by the Olubadan’s Chief Press Secretary, Olugbemiga Ayoade, highlighted the monarch’s appreciation of the Sultan’s…

Daud Olatunji Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has lambasted former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu for leading Nigeria into what he described as a “failed state,” marred by insecurity, underdevelopment, and pervasive corruption. Speaking at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University, USA, Obasanjo also called for the immediate dismissal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Mahmood Yakubu and other electoral officials across federal, state, and local levels to restore trust in the country’s electoral system. In his keynote address, titled “Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria,” the former president criticized the policies and leadership…

The Lagos Division of the Federal High Court has restrained the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from sanctioning or penalizing broadcast stations, including the withdrawal of their licences, in a landmark judgment delivered by Justice Nicholas Oweibo. The ruling was secured by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID). The judgment, delivered on June 13, 2024, and obtained as a Certified True Copy by SERAP on Friday, declared the actions of NBC in imposing fines and other sanctions as unconstitutional and a violation of media freedom. Justice Oweibo directed the regulatory body…

Rasaki Oladejo, the president of the Muslim Ummah of South-West Nigeria (MUSWEN), has warned President Bola Tinubub that importing food will not eliminate economic hardship in Nigeria. Mr Oladejo gave the advice during MUSWEN’s 9th General Assembly 2024 on Sunday in Ibadan. “Let me sound a note of warning that food importation should not be an option to be considered. It is not a solution because it will make a mockery of subsidy removal,” said the MUSWEN president. Mr Oladejo said, however, that while the government’s economic policies were harsh, they were meant to correct the maladministration of the past…

Dangote Cement, Ibese Plant at the weekend extended the frontier of its social investments in the wellbeing of its 17 host communities when it hosted the senior citizens in the communities, offering them free medical services and mobility equipment for people with disabilities including wheelchairs The company said the gesture aimed to complement the government’s effort to improve the lives of the people of Ogun State, especially those in the territory where the leading cement manufacturer operates. Tagged “A Day-Out with Senior Citizens 2024”, the well-attended annual event saw the elderly ones being led in physical exercise, receiving health talks,…

… OGSIEC Issues Certificates of Return to APC Candidates … PDP Minority Leader Alleges Military Intimidation By Daud Olatunji The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, allocated over N200 million for the conduct of local government elections, which have been widely criticized for disenfranchisement, violence, manipulation, and voter apathy. An investigation by PLATFORM TIMES into the Ogun State Government’s 2024 approved budget online portal  revealed that the state’s Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) was allocated ₦205,197,185.54. The budget breakdown showed ₦88,902,278.22 designated for personnel expenditure, ₦89,453,055.61 for other recurrent expenses, and a total recurrent expenditure of ₦178,355,333.83. Additionally, ₦26,841,851.71 was earmarked for…

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Toyin Amuzu, has lambasted the All Progressives Congress (APC) for its handling of Saturday’s local government elections in Ogun State, describing the process as a “complete charade” and an “arbitrary use of power.” Amuzu, who was the PDP’s candidate for the House of Representatives in the 2023 elections, expressed dismay over reports of violence, intimidation, and manipulation that marred the polls. He called on Nigerians to reject the APC’s “recklessness and dictatorial tendencies” in the 2027 general elections, arguing that the ruling party lacks the capacity to win in any free…