Author: Platform Times Newspaper

There was a tense moment on Wednesday in the Senate as the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Senator Adams Oshiomhole engaged in a heated confrontation over the adoption of the Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday’s plenary, disrupting the smooth flow of legislative business. The session, which had commenced routinely with prayers and routine announcements, turned dramatic when Akpabio called for the adoption of the official record of proceedings in line with Senate rules. However, Oshiomhole, representing Edo North, immediately objected, insisting that the document being presented did not accurately reflect what transpired on the floor during the previous sitting. “We…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has escalated the ongoing leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party, declaring that any property or financial institution linked to the faction led by Kabiru Turaki will face immediate sanctions. Wike issued the warning on Wednesday during his monthly media briefing in Abuja, insisting that the Turaki-led group lacks legal standing and cannot operate as the legitimate leadership of the PDP. The minister’s remarks come amid deepening turmoil in the opposition party following the appointment of Turaki as chairman of a 13-member interim National Working Committee reportedly backed by Oyo State…

No fewer than 34 persons have died while 254 others have been infected following a meningitis outbreak that has spread across nine local government areas of Sokoto State. The State Commissioner for Health, Faruk Abubakar-Wurno, disclosed this on Wednesday, warning that the outbreak had affected several communities and triggered an emergency public health response by the government. Abubakar-Wurno said a significant number of the deaths occurred in homes before victims could access medical care, attributing the situation to delayed treatment as some residents reportedly linked the illness to spiritual causes and other misconceptions. According to him, isolation centres have been…

Founder of the AMS Charity Foundation, Alhaji Mohammed Sodiq, has formally declared his intention to contest the Imeko-Afon State Constituency seat in the Ogun State House of Assembly ahead of the 2027 general elections. This was  disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday, describing the move as a strategic step towards deepening grassroots representation and accelerating development in the constituency. Sodiq, according to the statement, said his ambition was driven by the need to strengthen legislative representation for Imeko-Afon and address key challenges affecting the people, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, youth empowerment and education.…

…  Says Title Reserved For Academic Doctorate Holders Only … Moves To Curb Abuse Of  Honorary Awards In Universities The Federal Government on Wednesday announced a major policy shift prohibiting recipients of honorary degrees from using the title “Dr,” in a move aimed at restoring discipline and credibility to Nigeria’s academic system. The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed the directive while briefing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, following decisions reached at the Federal Executive Council meeting held on April 30. Alausa said the government’s action was necessitated by what it described as the growing abuse, politicisation…

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has warned that escalating insecurity across the country poses a major threat to the conduct of free, fair and credible elections ahead of the 2027 general polls. Amupitan raised the concern on Wednesday in Abuja during a strategic meeting with the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, as part of early consultations on security preparations for the 2027 elections. The INEC chairman cautioned that persistent violence, electoral malpractice and widening security gaps could erode public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process if urgent and coordinated action is not taken. He…

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of nine high-value properties allegedly linked to former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, in a move tied to ongoing investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over suspected illicit asset acquisition. Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who delivered the ruling on Wednesday, granted the order following an ex parte application filed by the anti-graft agency, which told the court that preliminary investigations indicated the properties were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities. In the ruling, the court directed that the assets be temporarily forfeited…

A Gombe State High Court has convicted and sentenced a magistrate, Mohammad Kumo, to two years and six months’ imprisonment for bribery, following his prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Justice H.H. Kereng, who delivered the judgment on Wednesday, also gave the convict an option of a N250,000 fine and ordered him to pay N500,000 as compensation to the EFCC for the cost of investigation and prosecution. Kumo was arraigned on December 3, 2025, on a three-count charge bordering on corruption. At the initial stage of the trial, he pleaded not guilty and challenged the jurisdiction of the…

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olisa Agbakoba, has alleged that Nigeria is losing an estimated N20tn annually to revenue leakages, blaming what he described as systemic failures in the management of public funds under the administration of President Bola Tinubu. Agbakoba made the claim in a policy paper released on Wednesday by Olisa Agbakoba Legal, where he accused the Federal Government of failing to comply with constitutional provisions governing the remittance of revenues into the Federation Account. According to the senior lawyer, funds that should ordinarily accrue to the Federation Account are either withheld or diverted before remittance, in breach…

Activist and co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls movement, Aisha Yesufu, has resigned her membership of the African Democratic Congress and defected to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, declaring her intention to contest the Federal Capital Territory senatorial seat in the 2027 general elections. Yesufu announced her defection in a statement on Wednesday, describing the move as part of an ongoing political realignment ahead of the next electoral cycle. She said her decision was informed by what she termed a “deeper understanding” of Nigeria’s political trajectory, adding that the coming days would be critical in shaping the country’s future. The…