Author: Platform Times Newspaper

…Demand review of appointment, accuse party leaders of ignoring regional stakeholders Daud Olatunji Six governorship candidates of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) across the North-East have rejected the appointment of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, as the party’s leader in the region. The candidates, who declared their opposition in a joint statement addressed to the NDC national leadership and the party’s National Leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, said they would neither recognise Lawal in the position nor accept his leadership of the party’s North-East activities. Lawal, who recently joined the NDC, was appointed to coordinate…

Toyyibat Qasim The political battle ahead of the 2027 presidential election has intensified, with the Presidential Adviser on Political Matters, Ibrahim Kabiru Masari, declaring that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar will not become Nigeria’s President. Masari, who described Atiku as a “joker”, said the former Vice President’s ambition to return to Aso Rock could not be achieved through what he characterised as desperation. The presidential aide made the remarks in Dutse, Jigawa State, while speaking to members of the Jigawa State Academics Forum. According to Masari, Atiku himself was aware that his 2027 presidential ambition was unrealistic. “Even Atiku himself…

……Demands disclosure of alleged Buhari-linked payment …Seeks Details Of N1.63tn Intervention, Anchor Loans …Wants Beneficiaries, Recoveries, Suspected Wrongdoers Named Daud Olatunji The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has given the Central Bank of Nigeria and its Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, seven days to account for $6.23m allegedly spent as election funding and more than N1.63tn in other public funds flagged in the 2023 report of the Auditor-General of the Federation. SERAP, in a letter dated September 26, 2026, signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, demanded that the apex bank disclose details of the transactions, identify beneficiaries and explain what steps…

Mujeeb Akindoyin Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has ordered the immediate dissolution of boards, commissions and parastatals across the state and terminated the appointments of political appointees as his first term winds down ahead of his second-term inauguration. The governor’s directive, announced on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, in Ado-Ekiti, affects a wide range of political appointees, including Special Assistants, Senior Special Assistants and Technical Assistants. Oyebanji said the decision was part of the transition process ahead of the inauguration of his second term scheduled for October 16, 2026. The governor, however, carved out several statutory…

Zainab Abioye The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has described opposition parties participating in the 2027 general elections as “just participants,” declaring that the ruling party is prepared to win elections across the country. Yilwatda made the declaration on Saturday while briefing journalists at the end of a three-day retreat for members of the APC National Working Committee in Maiduguri, Borno State. The APC chairman said the party had intensified preparations for the elections, including the inauguration of campaign councils and reconciliation committees, while expressing confidence in candidates produced through its primary elections. “The party…

Daud Olatunji A 25-year-old businessman and newlywed, Lovely Chukwulobelu, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for allegedly attempting to traffic cocaine to Portugal. The suspect was allegedly caught with 72 wraps of cocaine concealed in his stomach while preparing to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Portugal through Addis Ababa. The NDLEA said the suspect, who resides in Portugal, was intercepted at the airport’s departure hall on Thursday, September 25, 2026, while wearing his wedding ring. According to the agency, Chukwulobelu had returned to Nigeria recently for…

….Yeye Moremi Oodua targets students, graduates, entrepreneurs with practical technology training Daud Olatunji The wife of former Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, and Yeye Moremi Oodua, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, has commissioned an artificial intelligence and digital skills training hub in Ile-Ife, Osun State, as part of efforts to equip young Nigerians with practical skills for the emerging digital economy. The YMO AI & Digital Training Hub, inaugurated on Saturday, is designed to provide young people, students, unemployed graduates, entrepreneurs and other members of the community with hands-on training in artificial intelligence, coding, digital technology, entrepreneurship and other emerging areas. Speaking…

Toyyibat Qasim At least five miners have been killed and two others injured after gunmen attacked a mining site in Marit village, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State. The incident, which occurred around 1pm on Saturday, came amid heightened tension and a wave of attacks reported in parts of the state. The spokesman for the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Rwang Tengwong, confirmed the attack, describing the killings as another painful loss for the community. He said five people were killed while two others sustained injuries during the assault. Tengwong condemned the attack and called on security agencies to…

Mujeeb Akindoyin Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Obafemi Hamzat, has described the state’s notorious traffic congestion as more than a transportation challenge, saying it has become part of the lifestyle of Lagos residents. Hamzat made the statement while speaking at PODFEST Naija on Friday, according to a report by Vanguard published on Saturday. The deputy governor acknowledged the longstanding reputation of Lagos for traffic congestion, crowded roads and urban chaos, but said the situation had also developed a connection with the city’s entertainment and creative economy. “Not long ago, the story…

…156 reported dead as Mining Marshals shut 108 sites, arrest 743 suspects — FG Daud Olatunji Nigeria’s illegal mining crisis is deepening, with 374 unauthorised mining sites uncovered across 17 states, while at least 156 deaths have been reported in mining-related incidents, highlighting growing concerns over public safety, environmental degradation, child labour and national security. The development has heightened fears that the country’s vast mineral resources are increasingly being exploited outside regulatory controls, with security agencies and lawmakers warning that illegal mining is no longer merely an economic or environmental offence. In some parts of the North-West and North-Central,…