Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Ayomide Awe Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has revealed that the United States government has permanently revoked his visa, a development he described as a likely consequence of his criticism of the U.S. President, Donald Trump’s policies. Soyinka made the disclosure on Tuesday during a media parley held at Freedom Park, Lagos, tagged “Unending Saga: Idi Amin in Whiteface!” The literary icon said he received a letter from the U.S. Consulate in Lagos last Thursday, October 23, officially notifying him of the visa revocation. Reading from the letter, Soyinka quoted:“Dear Mr. Soyinka, this letter serves as official notification of the…

Ayomide Awe & Aishah  Waliyullah The battle over bad roads in Ogun State has intensified, as residents lashed out at aides of Governor Dapo Abiodun for defending his administration’s record on infrastructure. The backlash followed a social media post by the governor’s media aide, Mabeweje Tayo, titled “Governor Dapo Abiodun Is Fixing Ogun’s Roads, One Step at a Time.” In the post, Tayo argued that “no governor, no matter how visionary, can fix every road in Ogun within a single tenure or even two.” He said the governor inherited “a landscape of forgotten roads and frustrated communities,” and has since…

…Says Over 151,000 Osun Residents Registered Daud Olatunji  The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties in Osun State against violating electoral laws ahead of their forthcoming primaries, urging strict adherence to the timetable and regulations guiding the 2026 governorship election in the state. The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Osun State, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, gave the warning on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Olusegun Agbaje Media Centre, Osogbo. Agboke reminded political parties that, according to the election timetable, party primaries must hold between November 24 and December 15, 2025, in line with Section 84…

By  GBENGA GBESAN1 The exit of Chief Solomon Oladapo Sofoluke on 11 October 2025 marked the departure of a public service colossus. A civil servant to the core, Chief Sofoluke’s 93 years on earth were lived absolutely epitomising the public service’s credo of anonymity. He lived in total anonymity, rather than being the object of the slightest public attention. Anathema to him was the celebration of any type. The media was a forbidden territory. He shunned being talked or written about. Yet, a thousand bouquets will not suffice in complimenting his exemplary service rendered to the people and governments, cutting…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has raised the alarm that some gemstone dealers and precious stone miners in Nigeria are involved in financing terrorism and laundering illicit funds. The commission’s Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, issued the warning on Monday in Ibadan, Oyo State, during a one-day capacity-building and sensitisation workshop for miners and gemstone dealers. The event was organised in collaboration with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and supported by the German International Cooperation (GIZ). Olukoyede, represented by Toyin Ehindero-Benson, Zonal Coordinator of the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML), expressed concern over what he described as…

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has urged Nigerians to hold state governors and local government chairmen accountable for the rising funds accruing to them from the federation account, insisting that the benefits of economic reforms must reflect in the lives of ordinary citizens. Speaking in Abuja on Monday at the public presentation of Vicious Red Circle, a novel authored by Alex Ugochukwu Oriaku, Yilwatda said while the Federal Government had implemented bold economic reforms such as fuel subsidy removal, governors must justify the substantial allocations they now receive. According to…

… Credits God, Gov Abiodun, Staff, Students For Five Years Of Growth, Resilience Ayomide Awe  The Vice Chancellor of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, Ogun State, Prof. Oluwole Sikiru Banjo, has bowed out of office after five years of what he described as “a journey of faith, fortitude, and fulfillment,” marking his final appearance before the university congregation on Wednesday, October 22, 2025. In an emotional valedictory address, Prof. Banjo expressed deep gratitude to God, the university community, and the Ogun State Government for what he called “five impactful years of service,” noting that his tenure witnessed remarkable…

Daud Olatunji  The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged journalists across Southwest Nigeria, Edo and Delta States to uphold the highest ethical standards in reporting issues concerning children, warning that sensational or exploitative coverage can cause lifelong harm. Speaking at a two-day training workshop for media practitioners held  in Ibadan, UNICEF’s Chief of Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, stressed that ethical journalism is not only a professional responsibility but a moral duty that safeguards children’s dignity and future. “At UNICEF, we believe that every child has the right to be seen, heard, and protected,” Lafoucriere said. “Ethical reporting is…

An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced three persons to death by hanging for robbing an 87-year-old woman, Mrs. Victoria Folorunso, of her money and valuables during a midnight attack in her home at Ifaki Ekiti. The convicts — 30-year-old Shadrack Apos, 33-year-old Lucky Akpos, and 24-year-old Adunola Precious — were found guilty of conspiracy and armed robbery in violation of Sections 421 and 321 (2) (b) of the Criminal Laws of Ekiti State, 2021. Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye declared that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, noting that the…

Tension is mounting within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as former Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has accused the party’s leadership of subverting internal democracy after he was denied access to purchase the nomination form to contest for the position of National Chairman. Lamido, a founding member of the PDP and one of its vocal elder statesmen, arrived at the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, on Monday morning, only to be turned back by officials who allegedly informed him that the forms were “no longer available.” Visibly angered by the development, Lamido told journalists that the action was…