Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday heard fresh allegations of a plot to infiltrate the Presidential Villa and disrupt electricity supply as part of an attempt to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration. The revelations emerged during the ongoing trial of six defendants accused of conspiring to stage a coup, as the prosecution tendered a video recording of the interrogation of one of the suspects, Zekeri Umoru. In the footage, played in open court, Umoru told investigators that he was approached to participate in a plan allegedly spearheaded by a serving military officer, identified as Colonel Mohammed A. Ma’aji,…

The political crisis rocking the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has taken a dramatic turn as Governor Siminalayi Fubara announced his withdrawal from the party’s governorship primary ahead of the 2027 elections. Fubara, in a statement personally signed on Wednesday, said the decision followed “deep reflection and extensive consultations,” adding that he would support whoever emerges as the party’s candidate. The governor’s withdrawal comes amid intensifying internal wrangling within the APC in Rivers State, where rival factions have been locked in a prolonged struggle for control of the party structure. “I have taken the difficult but necessary…

Hon. Soneye Damilola Kayode (SDK) has emerged as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Obafemi Owode State Constituency following the party’s direct primary election conducted across all 12 wards in the local government area. The exercise, held on [day implied: today], produced SDK as the party’s flagbearer ahead of the forthcoming general election, in what party officials described as a peaceful and well-coordinated process. In a statement after his emergence, Soneye expressed appreciation to the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, for what he described as his leadership and commitment to a credible and orderly primary…

The political rift within the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified as the party’s national secretariat disqualified more than 60 aspirants linked to Governor Siminalayi Fubara from contesting the 2027 House of Assembly primaries. A screening list released by the party showed that dozens of aspirants were not cleared across multiple constituencies in Rivers State, in what has been described as one of the most sweeping setbacks for the governor’s political camp within the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections. The disqualifications cut across several constituencies, including Okrika, Khana, Omuma, Ahoada East, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre,…

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has been cleared to contest the presidential primary of the Nigeria Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections. The clearance was announced on Wednesday by the Chairman of the party’s National Screening Committee, Sam Egwu, who said Obi satisfied all constitutional, electoral, and internal party requirements. Egwu disclosed that the screening exercise, which held in Abuja on Tuesday, involved a detailed review of the former Anambra State governor’s credentials, including his academic qualifications, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) records, and age declarations. According to him, the committee also subjected Obi to questions…

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has warned that Nigeria’s democracy may face renewed strain ahead of the 2027 general elections if the current trend of post-election litigation continues to overshadow the ballot box in determining electoral winners. Jonathan raised the concern on Wednesday in Abuja at the 2026 Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), themed “Safeguarding Nigeria’s Democratic Process,” where he called for urgent reforms to strengthen electoral credibility and reduce the growing reliance on courts to resolve electoral outcomes. The former president expressed worry that post-election disputes have become a permanent feature of Nigeria’s political landscape, effectively creating…

The 2026 Amirul Hajj for Ogun State, Shamsudeen Adebayo Apelogun, has assured Nigerian pilgrims and their families of their safety following a tragic accident that left some participants injured during the ongoing pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Apelogun, who spoke  in Mecca, said no pilgrim from Ogun State was affected by the incident, while expressing deep sympathy for those impacted. He, however, noted that any injured pilgrims connected to the Ogun contingent were receiving prompt medical attention and were responding well to treatment, adding that authorities had strengthened safety and transportation arrangements to avert a recurrence. “We want to assure families…

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed claims of terrorist presence in the South-West geopolitical zone, insisting that the recent abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State was an isolated criminal incident and not evidence of any entrenched insurgent network in the region. The clarification comes amid heightened public concern following remarks by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who had suggested that armed groups behind the attack on schools in the state were terrorists and warned of possible spillover of insurgency pressure from the North-West into the South-West. The governor had disclosed that the attack on Baptist Nursery and Primary…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (National Drug Law Enforcement Agency) has uncovered and dismantled a massive transnational methamphetamine production network operating from a clandestine forest laboratory in Ogun State, in what officials describe as one of its most significant anti-narcotics operations in recent times. The agency said the operation led to the seizure of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals valued at over ₦480bn, alongside the arrest of 10 suspects comprising the alleged kingpin, identified as Anochili Innocent, three Mexican nationals, and six Nigerian collaborators. The secret drug factory was located deep inside Abidagba Forest in Ijebu East Local Government…

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has warned that it may embark on industrial action if the Federal and state governments fail to urgently halt the rising wave of attacks on schools and abductions of teachers and students across the country. The union described the repeated assaults on educational institutions as barbaric, inhuman and a grave threat to the survival of Nigeria’s education system. In a statement jointly signed by its National President, Audu Amba, and Secretary General, Clinton Ikpitibo, the Nigeria Union of Teachers lamented that schools, which should serve as safe environments for learning, have increasingly become targets…