Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Ayomide Awe The Peace and Social Advancement Centre (PSAC) has launched an Executive School for Peace, Leadership and Governance, with applications opened for 20 participants for its inaugural three-day online programme scheduled for October 21 to 23, 2026. The initiative, according to the organisation, is designed to address persistent challenges in ethical leadership, institutional accountability and effective governance by equipping emerging and established leaders with the knowledge and practical skills needed to promote peace and sustainable development. Based in Abeokuta, Ogun State, PSAC said the programme would bring together public officials, policymakers, civil society actors and other individuals whose leadership…

Firdaus Obiremi Former Minister of Transportation and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has accused President Bola Tinubu and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of taking credit for the construction of the Lekki Deep Seaport, insisting that he supervised the project from inception to completion. Amaechi said he was unable to join former President Muhammadu Buhari to commission the facility because he had resigned from the cabinet to pursue his presidential ambition in 2022. The former Rivers State governor made the allegations during an ADC stakeholders’ meeting in Edo State on Thursday, where he also pledged to push…

…. Country’s Fiscal Deficit Expected To Widen On 2026 … Food Inflation Hits 19.6% As Bank Urges Reforms To Boost Jobs, Investment, Poverty Reduction Daud Olatunji Nigeria’s fiscal deficit is projected to widen to 3.5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product in 2026 from 3.1 per cent in 2025, as rising capital expenditure by state governments and anticipated pre-election spending threaten to outweigh gains from increased government revenues, the World Bank has warned. The bank also cautioned that mounting personnel costs, debt-servicing obligations and other expenditure pressures at the federal level could reverse recent improvements in the country’s fiscal position.…

Victoria Ikhedie The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has commenced efforts to recover the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder of its ATR-42 aircraft that crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, as investigators intensify efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident. The search for the two critical recording devices began three days after the crash, with recovery operations complicated by the swampy terrain and poor underwater visibility at the crash site. The flight data recorder (FDR), commonly known as the black box, captures key aircraft performance and system parameters, while the cockpit voice recorder (CVR)…

Daud Olatunji The Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Nura Umar Abdullahi, has raised the alarm over the fate of more than 200 people reportedly still held by bandits after his escape from captivity. Abdullahi, who spent about 61 days in the hands of the armed men, made the disclosure during an interview with DW Hausa, according to a report by SaharaReporters. His account has renewed concerns over the scale of abductions in Zamfara State and the fate of residents being held by armed groups operating across the North-West. The council chairman was abducted on July 25,…

Firdaus Obiremi The Oyo State Police Command has launched a manhunt for suspected kidnappers who abducted three staff members of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria in Ibadan. The police confirmed the incident on Friday, saying efforts were ongoing to rescue the victims and apprehend those responsible for the abduction. The victims were reportedly kidnapped while inspecting crops on a farm within the institute’s premises in Ibadan, Oyo State. The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, confirmed the incident in a statement issued in Ibadan, adding that security operatives had commenced operations to secure the victims’ release. “The Oyo…

Toyyibat Qasim The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has disclosed that it counselled, treated and rehabilitated 53,843 persons struggling with drug use across its 31 rehabilitation centres nationwide in the last five years. The agency also conducted 17,213 public awareness campaigns under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative within the period as part of efforts to prevent substance abuse and discourage drug consumption among Nigerians, particularly young people. The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), disclosed the figures at the fourth Vanguard Mental Health Summit held in Lagos on Friday. Marwa, who was…

Ayomide Awe Ogun State indigenes resident in Kano State have pledged support for the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, and his running mate, Hajia Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, ahead of the 2027 governorship election. The indigenes, who rallied around Sowunmi-Kolapo during a meeting in Kano on Thursday, also called for increased youth empowerment, job creation and inclusive governance in Ogun State. They declared their support under the slogan, “Ogun for Ogun,” insisting that their interest in the political future of their home state remained strong despite living outside its borders. The meeting was organised after the indigenes learnt that Sowunmi-Kolapo…

Daud Olatunji .The Independent National Electoral Commission has intensified voter mobilisation in Ondo State ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging eligible voters to verify their details on the preliminary register of voters and collect their Permanent Voter Cards. The appeal was made by the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ondo State, Dr Mutiu Olaleke Agboke, during the commission’s senatorial district stakeholders’ engagement and voter education meeting in Okitipupa, the headquarters of the district. Agboke reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to conducting credible elections, insisting that valid votes must count and the wishes of the electorate must be respected. The engagement formed part…

….Party urges INEC, police, DSS, NSCDC to tighten security at collection centres across 20 LGAs Daud Olatunji The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has raised the alarm over an alleged plot by the ruling All Progressives Congress to disrupt the ongoing Permanent Voter Card collection exercise in the state, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies to prevent any breakdown of law and order. The PDP alleged that the APC was planning to deploy suspected political thugs to designated INEC collection centres to intimidate eligible voters, disrupt the exercise and cart away PVCs belonging to…