Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has cautioned the African Democratic Congress (ADC) against sidelining former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, in the build-up to the 2027 general election, warning that the party could slide into political obscurity if it fails to present him as its presidential candidate. Fayose, who spoke during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, described Obi as the single most important political asset within the ADC, arguing that no other figure in the party currently possesses the capacity to attract widespread national support. According to the former governor, Obi’s political appeal goes beyond party structures,…

Two members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have appealed to their colleagues to suspend the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, warning that the political crisis could further destabilise the state. The lawmakers, Sylvanus Nwankwo and Peter Abbey, made the appeal on Monday during a press conference in Port Harcourt, urging the Assembly to adopt dialogue and reconciliation rather than push through with the impeachment process. Nwankwo, who represents Omuma State Constituency and serves as the Minority Leader of the House, called on legislators to “temper justice with mercy” and explore alternative…

No fewer than 52 anti-kidnapping protesters, including students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, have been remanded in custody by a Federal High Court in Edo State following allegations of malicious damage to property and armed robbery. The protesters were arrested after a demonstration against rising cases of kidnapping in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area, reportedly turned violent on Saturday, leading to the looting and vandalisation of shops and other properties in the town. Delivering his ruling on Monday, the presiding judge, Justice William Aziegbemi, held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter. He consequently directed…

A trader at the Sapon Shopping Complex, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Mrs Oluwakemi Abioye, has tendered a public apology to the Iyalaje of Sapon Market, Chief Mrs Florence Mojisola Oni-Quadri, over a protest that followed a court appearance connected to a November 2025 incident. In a letter dated January 12, 2026, addressed to Chief Oni-Quadri, who is also the Ibuso Aje of Egba Land, Abioye who on behalf of Sapon traders, admitted wrongdoing and expressed regret over the conduct of market women who carried placards in protest on her behalf. The apology followed an incident on November 23, 2025, during which…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has dismissed allegations that it is witch-hunting former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, insisting that its investigation into his activities is neither political nor targeted at opposition figures. The EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, said Malami had been under investigation for over two years, long before he assumed office, stressing that the commission prosecutes cases without regard to party affiliation. Olukoyede made the clarification during an interview on Sunday Politics, a programme aired by Channels Television, following claims by the African Democratic Congress in Kebbi State that the former justice…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has defended the slow pace of prosecuting high-profile corruption cases, insisting that delays are a result of painstaking investigations and not institutional inertia. The Chairman of the commission, Ola Olukoyede, said complex corruption cases involving politically exposed persons require extensive evidence-gathering before charges can be filed in court. Olukoyede stated this during an interview on Sunday Politics, aired by Channels Television, amid growing public criticism that the anti-graft agency shields influential politicians from prosecution. According to him, the nature of public-sector corruption, especially cases involving foreign assets and international financial transactions, makes hasty…

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has strongly opposed the continued importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), insisting that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has the capacity to meet Nigeria’s fuel demand and stabilise supply nationwide. The marketers’ position came amid rising controversy over petrol imports and fresh allegations of corruption involving the former Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed. IPMAN also dismissed reports linking the surge in petrol imports recorded in November 2025 to an alleged breakdown in supply arrangements between marketers and the Dangote Refinery, describing the claims…

… Says deal has freed 1,000 abductees …Lawyers, CSOs Raise Legal Concerns” Daud Olatunji The Katsina State Government has come under intense criticism following plans to secure the release of 70 suspects standing trial for alleged banditry, a move it insists is central to sustaining ongoing peace accords across troubled parts of the state. Defending the decision, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Mu’azu, said the proposed release was part of a broader reconciliation strategy designed to halt years of killings, abductions and violent attacks in several frontline local government areas. Mu’azu said the peace arrangement, which…

Resident doctors across the country have suspended their planned resumption of strike, following what the leadership of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) described as firm commitments from the Federal Government and the direct intervention of Vice-President Kashim Shettima. The decision was reached on Sunday during a virtual emergency meeting of the association’s National Executive Council, where members reviewed the status of their demands and the progress made through engagements with government agencies. NARD’s Secretary-General, Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim, said the suspension of the proposed industrial action, code-named TICS 2.0, was “strategic and conditional”, stressing that the association had not…

The Ogun State Police Command has commenced an investigation into a viral video showing controversial Nigerian singer, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, allegedly being assaulted while in police custody. The footage, which surfaced on social media on Saturday and spread rapidly across X and other platforms, shows the Zazu crooner handcuffed, shirtless and visibly distressed, while seated in what appears to be a police holding area. In the video, the singer is seen pleading tearfully as voices believed to be those of police officers are heard in the background. The video has triggered widespread outrage, with Nigerians raising fresh…