Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji In a dramatic political twist, Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and the entire Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) structure in the state have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The mass defection was confirmed on Wednesday in Asaba by Senator James Manager after a marathon closed-door meeting at the Delta State Government House that lasted over six hours. “All PDP members in the state, including the governor, former Governor Okowa, the Speaker, the state party chairman, all local government chairmen and others, have agreed to move to the APC,” Manager stated. “We cannot continue…

Feyisayo Ogunbiyi The federal government has announced that colleges of education across Nigeria will begin awarding bachelor’s degrees alongside the National Certificate in Education (NCE) from September 2025. Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the disclosure in Abuja on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ engagement on the implementation of the dual mandate policy, which grants colleges of education the authority to award degrees. The initiative, signed into law in 2023, was initially scheduled to commence in the 2024/2025 academic session. However, Alausa confirmed that the rollout has now been moved to the 2025/2026 academic year, with only federal…

There was a wave of excitement and fresh political calculations on Tuesday following reports that President Bola Tinubu held a crucial meeting in London with the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara. Although the meeting was shrouded in secrecy, sources familiar with the development confirmed  that it was the first face-to-face encounter between the two since President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich state on March 18, suspending Fubara, his deputy Dr. Ngozi Odu, and the entire state House of Assembly. The Africa Report claimed the meeting was at Fubara’s request, but the Presidency has…

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected a sharp rebound in Nigeria’s inflation, forecasting a 37% headline rate in 2026, even as temporary relief is expected in 2025 with inflation averaging 26.5%. This was disclosed in the IMF’s April 2025 World Economic Outlook (WEO), which highlights persistent economic fragility in Nigeria despite recent policy reforms. The inflation forecast comes on the heels of a Consumer Price Index (CPI) rebasing by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which saw inflation figures recalibrated to reflect more current consumption patterns. The Fund noted that although inflation may ease this year from the 33.2%…

Scores of demonstrators on Tuesday besieged the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, demanding a thorough investigation into the tenure of the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Mele Kyari. The protesters, operating under the banner of Concerned Citizens Against Corruption (CCAC), trooped to the Federal Ministry of Justice Headquarters in Abuja, wielding placards and chanting anti-corruption slogans. Led by their Convener, Comrade Kabir Matazu, the group said it was “deeply disappointed” that despite President Bola Tinubu’s decision to sack Kyari and dissolve the NNPCL…

A young man has reportedly escaped a suspected abduction and possible organ harvesting attempt by armed men impersonating police officers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. According to a family member via X (formerly Twitter), the victim was commuting in a Bolt vehicle within the city when his ride was intercepted by men in plain clothes. The assailants, who arrived in a Toyota Sienna, allegedly identified themselves as police officers before forcibly removing the victim from the vehicle. The attackers reportedly struck him with the butt of a rifle, tied his hands, and bundled him into their vehicle. In a dramatic…

A retired Permanent Secretary in the Ekiti State Civil Service, Mr. Babatunde Alokan, has been arraigned before a Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti for allegedly absconding with an official vehicle belonging to the Ekiti State Government. The arraignment, which took place on Tuesday, follows allegations that Alokan, who officially retired from service in 2024, failed to return a government-owned vehicle assigned to him prior to his exit from public service. The Prosecutor, Mr. Oriyomi Akinwale, told the court that Alokan was arrested and detained after he failed to produce the vehicle despite several requests. He was subsequently brought before the…

Governor Umar Mohammed Bago of Niger State has issued a controversial directive ordering the arrest and forced shaving of anyone spotted wearing dreadlocks across the state, citing concerns over rising insecurity and gang-related violence. The directive, which took immediate effect on Monday, April 22, comes as part of a broader crackdown on crime in the state capital, Minna, and its environs. It follows the recent imposition of a 12-hour daily curfew on commercial motorcycles (Okada) and tricycles (Kekenapep), restricting their movement from 6pm to 6am. Governor Bago, while addressing security operatives and residents, linked the rising tide of violence and…

A resident of Lagos State, Nnanna Daniel, has been sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment for attempting to sexually assault a 13-year-old girl. Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court handed down the sentence on April 22, following Daniel’s guilty plea to an amended charge of attempted sexual assault by penetration. Daniel, who was initially arraigned on July 27, 2021, on a charge of defilement, had pleaded not guilty. However, during a court proceeding held on April 15, 2025, the state prosecutor, I.D. Solarin, informed the court of a plea and sentence agreement entered into by…

The Senate has issued a stern rebuke to Pastor Tunde Bakare following his criticisms of the National Assembly’s role in the ratification of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Bakare, the serving overseer of The Citadel Global Community Church, on Sunday lambasted both the executive and legislative arms of government, accusing them of attempting to turn Nigeria into a “mafia state.” He described the National Assembly’s actions as part of an “institutional immorality Olympics.” In response, the Senate, through a statement by Yemi Adaramodu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and…