Author: Platform Times Newspaper

…Emergency Powers Valid Where Governance Collapses …Court Affirms Suspension Of  Gov, Lawmakers The Supreme Court on Monday affirmed the constitutional authority of the President to suspend elected governors and impose emergency rule in any state where public order and safety have broken down, provided such action is taken strictly within the ambit of the law. In a landmark judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Idris, the apex court, in a 6–1 majority decision, upheld President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the temporary suspension of Governor Similayi Fubara. The court anchored its ruling on Section…

The Federal Government has disclosed plans to roll over about 70 per cent of the 2025 Appropriation Act into the 2026 fiscal year, citing funding gaps and the need to stabilise budget implementation. The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, made this known on Monday during a one-day interactive session between the Senate Committee on Finance and members of President Bola Tinubu’s economic team on the 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP). Edun explained that only about 30 per cent of the 2025 budget had been fully funded so far,…

The Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed a suit seeking to nullify the Acts establishing the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) and the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), affirming the constitutionality of government-backed religious pilgrimage bodies. Justice Akintayo Aluko, in a judgment delivered on Monday, held that the applicant, Human Rights and Empowerment Project Ltd/Gte, failed to place credible evidence before the court to prove that the statutes violated Sections 10 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which prohibit the adoption of a state religion and guarantee freedom from discrimination. The applicant had approached the court…

Emmanuel Baptist Church, Ita-Iyalode, Abeokuta, has announced a week-long programme to commemorate its 40th anniversary, climaxing in the launch of a N100 million Church Growth Fund aimed at expanding its mission work, infrastructure and social development initiatives. The milestone was unveiled at a press conference on Monday, where the Senior Pastor, Reverend Williams Ojo, and the Chairman of the Anniversary Planning Committee, Elder Tunji Akoni, outlined the church’s four-decade journey of faith, growth and community service. Speaking at the briefing, Reverend Ojo said the church, founded on December 15, 1985, has recorded steady growth “under God’s guidance,” describing the anniversary…

As political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has warned judges across the country against issuing conflicting court orders or abusing ex-parte applications in pre-election disputes. The CJN urged judicial officers to strictly enforce procedural discipline to prevent the courts from being perceived as instruments of political manipulation, stressing that public confidence in the judiciary remains fragile. Justice Kekere-Ekun gave the warning on Monday in Abuja at a special court session marking the commencement of the Federal High Court’s 2025/2026 legal year and the 41st Annual Judges’ Conference. She…

…Says coalition proved incumbents can be defeated … Alliance birthed APC, reshaped Nigeria’s politics Daud Olatunji President Bola Tinubu on Monday recounted how his political alliance with the late former President Muhammadu Buhari culminated in the historic defeat of an incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan, in the 2015 general election. Tinubu said the coalition forged ahead of the polls fundamentally altered Nigeria’s political trajectory, proving that a sitting president could be democratically unseated through broad-based mobilisation and strategic cooperation. The President spoke at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during the public presentation of Buhari’s official biography, From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy…

The Nigeria Immigration Service has raised the alarm over the growing sophistication of human traffickers and migrant smugglers, warning that criminal networks are increasingly relying on encrypted messaging applications, falsified travel documents and cross-border collaborations to evade law enforcement. The Comptroller-General of the NIS, Mrs Kemi Nanna Nandap, described the trend as disturbing and unacceptable, stressing that Nigeria’s position as a country of origin, transit and destination for irregular migration makes the threat particularly grave. She spoke on Monday at the NIS headquarters in Abuja during the flag-off of the 2025 Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Day, organised to mark International Migrants…

Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has asked the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to recuse himself from an ongoing investigation involving him, alleging that the probe is driven by personal animosity and political vendetta. Malami made the demand in a statement issued on Monday by his Special Assistant on Media, Mohammed Bello Doka, in which he described the EFCC’s actions as a “witch-hunt” lacking fairness and objectivity. According to the former minister, the investigation and his reported detention were politically motivated, allegedly linked to his recent defection to the African…

The Federal Government, 36 states and the 774 local government councils have shared a total of ₦1.928tn as Federation Account revenue for November 2025. This followed the December 2025 meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee held in Abuja, according to a communiqué issued at the end of the session. The committee disclosed that the distributable revenue comprised ₦1.403tn from statutory revenue, ₦485.838bn from Value Added Tax and ₦39.646bn from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy. Out of the total amount shared, the Federal Government received ₦747.159bn, state governments got ₦601.731bn, while local government councils received ₦445.266bn. In addition, ₦134.355bn, representing…

A member representing Ijebu North State Constituency and former Minority Whip of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Rasheed Kashamu, has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress, citing deepening internal crises and irreconcilable differences within the opposition party. Kashamu’s defection was formally announced on the floor of the House on Monday during plenary, following the reading of his letter by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide. The lawmaker, in the letter, attributed his decision to persistent factional disputes at the national level of the PDP and unresolved leadership tussles in Ogun State, which…