Author: Platform Times Newspaper

A Sokoto-based politician and former grassroots mobiliser for Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s election campaigns, Alhaji Buhari Namalam, has accused top figures in the All Progressives Congress in the state of orchestrating his political marginalisation, alleging intimidation, betrayal and sexual harassment. In a video circulating on social media, Namalam said his relationship with the party leadership deteriorated despite his role in mobilising youths for the APC during the 2019 and 2023 elections. He alleged that he was subsequently excluded from political opportunities and patronage, which he described as unjust and demoralising. “I believe my popularity among the youth and my refusal to…

The Ogun State Government has ordered the immediate suspension of the ongoing process to select a new Awujale of Ijebuland, citing multiple petitions, security concerns and the need to preserve peace and the integrity of the revered traditional stool. The directive was contained in a letter dated January 20, 2026, addressed to the Chairman of Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ganiyu Hamzat. In the letter, the government described the Awujale stool as one of the foremost traditional institutions in Yorubaland and Ogun State, noting that the late Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona,…

Says Nigeria Should Leverage Citizen Spending Abroad …Urges Govt To Rethink Diplomatic Strategies Daud Olatunji  Former Lagos State Governor and Minister, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), has urged the Federal Government to adopt a firm and assertive stance against international visa restrictions, insisting that Nigeria should protect its dignity rather than plead with other nations for access. Fashola spoke on Tuesday at the Inaugural Nigeria Reputation Summit, organised by the Nigerian Reputation Management Group (NRMG) in Abuja, stressing that how Nigeria responds to travel bans has far-reaching implications for the nation’s image and diplomatic standing. His remarks come in the…

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed a suit filed by Samuel Anyanwu seeking recognition as the national secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Justice Mohammed Umar delivered the ruling following a submission by Anyanwu’s lawyer, U. C. Njemanze‑Aku, that his client’s tenure as national secretary had expired in December 2025. Anyanwu had in the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/254/2025, requested the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP chairman at the time, Umar Damagum, from acknowledging or acting on any correspondence from the party not signed by him. However, Njemanze‑Aku told the court:…

A 300-level student of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, Kelvin Danlami, reportedly took his own life on Tuesday, raising concerns over the welfare of students in the state-owned institution. The deceased was discovered hanging in his room during the early hours of the day. Police authorities confirmed the incident to PLATFORM TIMES. Wasiu Abiodun, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Niger State Command, said: “Information received indicated that in the early hours of the day, one Kelvin Danlami, a student of IBBU Lapai, was found to have hanged himself in his room with a cloth tied to the…

… 14,847kg of Illicit Drugs Confiscated Across Nigeria …Counselling, Treatment,  Awareness Programs Expanded Nationwide Daud Olatunji The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has revealed that it arrested 77,792 drug offenders and confiscated 14,847 kilograms of illicit drugs across Nigeria over the past five years, the agency’s Chairman, Retired Brigadier General Buba Marwa, has disclosed. Marwa made the announcement on Tuesday during an award and commendation ceremony for NDLEA personnel at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, describing the seizures as a “major blow” to local and international drug trafficking networks. He said the arrests included 128 notorious drug barons, reflecting…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to meet with the national leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement and former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in what sources described as a high-stakes engagement capable of reshaping the political landscape of Kano and the wider North ahead of the 2027 general elections. PLATFORM TIMES gathered on Tuesday that the anticipated meeting follows closely on the heels of a closed-door discussion between the President and Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, a political protégé of Kwankwaso, at Aso Rock on Monday. Sources familiar with the development said…

The family of former two-time heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, has questioned the prosecution of his driver following a tragic car crash in Ogun State that claimed the lives of two of the boxer’s close aides. The driver, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, appeared before a court in Sagamu on Tuesday on charges of reckless driving and driving without a licence over the December 29 accident. Kayode was reportedly driving Joshua alongside two of his associates, Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, when their Lexus SUV rammed into a stationary truck on a highway in the state. While the boxer survived the…

A founder of Rollo Life of Christ Brethren Ministry, Bishop Gideon Osagie Osazee, has been arrested over alleged sexual abuse involving two biological sisters. Besides the two sisters, four other girls have stepped out to testify that Bishop Osazee had s*xual intercourse with them. Bishop Osazee was arrested by officials of the Edo State after several days of laying ambush for him. The two sisters said they were aged 13 and 17 when the s*xual assault took place. According to the eldest sister, who claimed to be 21 now, said she was sleeping when the suspect had s*xual intercourse with…

The Nigerian Natural Medicine Development Agency has commenced the creation of a comprehensive national database of traditional medicine practitioners to sanitise, standardise and strengthen the sector. The Director-General of the agency, Prof. Martins Emeje, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja, saying the initiative would bring credibility, structure and global visibility to Nigeria’s traditional medicine ecosystem. Emeje said the move followed his appointment in December 2025 as Co-Chair of the World Health Organisation’s Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine. According to him, about 80 per cent of Nigerians  estimated at over 160 million people — rely…