Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to reconsider its decision to hold the 2027 presidential election on February 20, citing a clash with the Ramadan fasting period. INEC had on Friday fixed February 20, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections, with governorship and state Houses of Assembly polls scheduled to hold later. But reacting in a statement posted on his verified Facebook page late Friday, Atiku said the proposed date falls within Ramadan, expected to run from February 7 to March 8, 2027, describing the development as insensitive in a multi-religious country…

…INEC Fixes Feb 20, March 6, 2027 for General Elections …Presidential, N’Assembly Polls To Hold First Governorship, Assembly Elections Slated Two Weeks After Daud Olatunji The Independent National Electoral Commission on Friday announced that the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on Saturday, February 20, 2027, while governorship and state Houses of Assembly polls have been scheduled for Saturday, March 6, 2027. The Chairman of the commission, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja, stating that the release of the timetable and schedule of activities was in strict compliance with constitutional and statutory provisions. Amupitan…

Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, on Friday urged the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, to pursue dialogue with the Federal Government to resolve his protracted legal and political battle. Igboho’s call followed Kanu’s decision to officially cancel the Monday sit-at-home directive enforced across the South-East for nearly five years. In a statement signed by his counsel, Pelumi Olajengbesi, Igboho commended Kanu for ending what he described as a prolonged economic shutdown that disrupted social and commercial activities in the region. He said the suspension of the weekly lockdown was a…

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Friday elevated 14 high chiefs and Baales in Oyo town to the status of crown-wearing Obas, urging them to promote peace, unity and grassroots development in their domains. The governor presented the Staffs and Instruments of Office to the monarchs at a colourful ceremony held at Oliveth Heights in Oyo West Local Government Area. The Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, represented Makinde at the event. The newly installed Obas are: Alaaguo of Aguoland, Oba David Oyediran; Baba Eyaji of Oyo, Oba Afonja Mukaila; Alajagba of Oyo, Oba Samuel Odurinde; Ona-Isokun of Oyo, Oba Isiaka Tella-Titiloye;…

The Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc has disclosed that only N60 million was released from the N858 billion appropriated in the 2025 budget to bridge the electricity tariff shortfall, deepening concerns over the financial stability of the power sector. The Acting Managing Director of the agency, Johnson Akinnawo, made the revelation on Thursday during the 2025 budget performance review and defence of the 2026 proposal before the Senate Committee on Finance chaired by Niger East senator, Sani Musa. NBET, which was established to purchase electricity from generation companies and sell to distribution companies while guaranteeing payments to GenCos, said the…

The Labour Party has dismissed speculations of entering into any coalition or merger arrangement ahead of the 2027 general elections, declaring that it will contest the polls as a standalone political platform. The party’s position was made known by Ken Asogwa, Special Adviser to the Interim National Chairman, Nenadi Usman, during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday. Asogwa said the party was not engaged in talks with any political party and had no intention of collapsing its structure into any alliance, insisting that it would build on its 2023 performance. “In 2027, we hope to contest that election as…

The Department of State Services has foiled a kidnap plot and rescued a five-year-old boy, Muhammad Haruna, in Dan Zaki Village, Minjibir Local Government Area. The DSS Kano Command said its tactical operatives stormed the village at about 7:40 p.m. on February 12, 2026, following a distress report that the minor had been abducted to an unknown destination. According to the agency, the suspected kidnappers had demanded a ransom of N15 million from the boy’s family. In a statement issued on Friday, the security outfit disclosed that a 20-year-old suspect, Aminu Mukhtar, was arrested during the operation while allegedly negotiating…

The League of Imams and Alfas has expressed concern over what it described as the Federal Government’s continued indecision on the proposed ban of sachet alcohol, warning that the delay poses grave moral and social consequences for the country. The Islamic clerics specifically faulted the back-and-forth between the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and the Federal Government over the prohibition of alcohol packaged in sachets, saying the wavering posture sends a “dangerous signal” to young Nigerians. In a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Imam Tajudeen Mustapha Adewunmi, on Friday, the group said the easy availability and…

The Ibadan Zonal Station of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria has lauded the Senator representing Ogun Central, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, for facilitating the installation of 15 solar-powered electricity poles at Paramount 94.5 FM, Abeokuta. The commendation was contained in a letter dated January 30, 2026, and signed by the Acting Zonal Director of Radio Nigeria, Ibadan National Station, Mr. Olufemi Fulani. Fulani described the intervention as a timely and impactful gesture that would enhance operations at the station and improve service delivery to residents of Ogun Central Senatorial District. According to him, the solar-powered poles, installed within the…

..Proposed budget triples 2023 election spending …Seeks ₦171bn extra for 2026 operation Daud Olatunji The Independent National Electoral Commission has requested over ₦1.04tn to finance its 2026 operations and conduct the 2027 general elections, a proposal that has triggered fresh scrutiny over the rising cost of elections and the integrity of the nation’s electoral framework. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Wednesday while defending the commission’s budget before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja. A breakdown of the proposal shows that ₦873.78bn is earmarked for the 2027 general elections alone — nearly three times…