Author: Platform Times Newspaper

 Daud Olatunji The Itoku community in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has declared its support for the Peoples Democratic Party’s 2027 governorship ticket, featuring Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu and his running mate, Hajia Lateefat Sowunmi-Kolapo, with community leaders pledging to mobilise voters for the opposition party. The declaration came on Saturday during a grand homecoming reception organised in honour of Sowunmi-Kolapo, whose maternal roots trace to the Akinyele family in Itoku. The community’s traditional council and Muslim leadership also conferred separate chieftaincy titles on the PDP deputy governorship candidate in recognition of her contributions to Islam, community development and humanitarian service. The event…

Daud Olatunji The Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of mounting pressure on the Independent National Electoral Commission to exclude its governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, from the list of candidates for the 2027 election. The allegation followed the omission of Adebutu’s name from INEC’s final list of governorship candidates, alongside that of the PDP’s candidate in Gombe State, Isa Pantami. The electoral commission reportedly cited a September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgment on compliance with statutory requirements governing political parties’ membership registers for primaries, congresses and conventions as the basis for the omission.…

Ayomide Awe The Nigerian Army and the Sokoto State Police Command have dismissed a viral social media report claiming that more than 100 civilians and 11 security personnel were killed in an alleged attack on a community in Sokoto State. The report, circulated by a Facebook page, Hausaland Magazine, on October 5, alleged that armed men attacked a community identified as “Garin Gobir Gindin”, killing more than 100 civilians, 10 soldiers and a Mobile Police officer, while abducting several residents. However, security authorities said no such attack involving the reported mass casualties occurred in the state. The Acting Deputy Director…

Amidat AbdulFarai A United States federal court has sentenced a Nigerian, Edikan Adiakpan, to 30 months in prison for laundering proceeds from a business email compromise scheme that defrauded American companies of substantial sums of money. Adiakpan, 35, a Houston resident, was also sentenced to three years of supervised release after serving his prison term, according to a statement by the United States Department of Justice. The department said the defendant pleaded guilty on May 12 to illegally transmitting proceeds from the email fraud scheme. Prosecutors alleged that Adiakpan used his company, Akama Lifestyle, which he advertised as a luxury…

Fridaus Obiremi Former Imo State Governor and Senator representing Imo West, Rochas Okorocha, has challenged those behind reports of a court-ordered arrest warrant against him to publish the purported order within 48 hours or face demands for retraction and apology. Okorocha, who dismissed the report as false and politically motivated, insisted that no court had ordered his arrest over allegations of criminal conspiracy and forgery. The former governor made his position known in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, in response to a report titled, “Court Orders Arrest of Okorocha, Araraume,…

….Patients, caregivers seek better support as traditional rulers pledge grassroots campaign against stigma By Ayomide Awe Survivors of mental illness have shared their experiences of recovery, stigma and the challenges of accessing care at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, as the institution marked the 2026 World Mental Health Day with a call for patient-centred treatment and greater community support. The survivors, caregivers and mental health professionals urged Nigerians to stop treating people living with mental health conditions as objects of discussion and begin listening to their experiences, concerns and needs. The call formed the centrepiece of the hospital’s commemoration,…

Toyyibat Qasim The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has clarified that 25 people were aboard its ATR 42 aircraft, designated NAF 931, which crashed at Igbokoda in Ondo State on Monday, dismissing reports suggesting that 32 people were on board. The Air Force said the aircraft had 20 passengers and five active crew members, explaining that the 20 passengers included two non-active crew members. The clarification came amid conflicting reports about the number of people aboard the aircraft, with the military attributing the discrepancy to a misunderstanding of standard aviation terminology. The Director of Public Relations and Information of the NAF,…

Daud Olatunji The Federal Government has directed all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to purchase vehicles exclusively from licensed local assemblers or their authorised retailers, warning that any violation will attract sanctions, including blacklisting and revocation of operating licences. The directive, announced on Friday in Abuja, is part of the government’s efforts to boost local manufacturing, create jobs, reduce dependence on imports and strengthen Nigeria’s automotive industry under its “Nigeria First” policy. The Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Oluwemimo Osanipin, disclosed the decision during a joint press briefing with the Director-General of the Bureau of…

Daud Olatunji Wife of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Bola Obasanjo, has thrown her weight behind Nigeria’s hosting of the 2026 World Public Relations Forum, expressing optimism that the international gathering will boost the country’s global image and contribute to its long-awaited turnaround. Obasanjo spoke on Saturday while receiving a delegation of the Ogun State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, led by its chairman, Mrs Oluwaseun Boye, at her residence within the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State. She described the forum as an opportunity for Nigeria to showcase its cultural heritage, creative potential and…

KolaDaisi University, Ibadan, Oyo State, is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary alongside its sixth convocation ceremony, with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the immediate past Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, expected to headline the events. The university said the celebrations would run from October 26 to November 5, 2026, featuring a convocation lecture, Founder’s Day, alumni gathering, community service, research exhibition and anniversary dinner. Obasanjo, a former Nigerian leader, is scheduled to deliver the convocation lecture on Tuesday, November 3, while Oloyede will deliver the commencement address as part of activities marking…