Minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar had no option but to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

On July 14, Abubakar resigned from the PDP, saying the party has strayed from its founding ideals and is bogged down by “irreconcilable differences”.

Speaking on ‘Politics Today’, a Channels Television programme on Monday, Wike said Abubakar’s exit from the opposition party was inevitable because he could not use the PDP for his personal ambition.

“Atiku has no choice but to leave because he wanted to use the PDP, but knowing that I’m there, he cannot get that platform,” the FCT minister said.

He also accused the former vice-president and other defectors of weakening the party.

“Those are people who destroyed the party,” he said, adding, “How many times has he left PDP and returned?”

Wike also took aim at Douye Diri, governor of Bayelsa, who formally defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday.

“Diri has said he has left PDP, and I’m one of the happiest persons today,” he said.

“The same him and Makinde said they would not allow anybody to destroy the PDP and fall to the gutter. Who has entered the gutter today?”

Wike accused Diri of hypocrisy, saying he once branded others “undertakers” trying to bury the PDP but has now joined the APC.

“If I heard what he said, he claimed that some people came into the party as undertakers,” Wike said.

“I didn’t just come into the party; I have been a bona fide member since 1998.”

The minister recounted his political journey, noting that he began his career as a local government chairman and later served as governor of Rivers for eight years.

“When Diri was in PDP, he was one of those who said I was working for APC to destroy PDP,” Wike said.

“He was the chairman of the zoning committee of the party.”

The former Rivers governor also said Diri should be grateful for his defection.

“If he were to say I am working with APC, Diri should come to me and say, ‘Thank you, master,’” Wike said.

“He should pay me and say, ‘Thank you for opening my eyes to see the light,’ if he were true.”

Wike said his record of loyalty to the PDP remains unquestionable despite the party’s internal wrangling.

“When I was a governor under Buhari, everything was done to kill PDP, but I said no way—I fought,” he said.

“Leadership is key to everything you are doing. Everybody wants to make excuses. The man they claimed is killing PDP is still in the PDP.”

The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) has arrested 11 suspected “high-level members of several terrorist groups” in Nigeria.

The suspected insurgents were among the 83 persons arrested in six African countries by the international police and AFRIPOL in an operation codenamed ‘Operation Catalyst’.

The six African countries are Angola, Cameroon, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, and South Sudan.

In a statement, Interpol said the two-month operation targeted “terrorism financing and the illegal activity supporting it”, adding that over 15,000 persons of interest and entities were combed.

The Interpol said the operation uncovered $260 million in both fiat and virtual currencies “potentially linked to terrorism-related activities” adding that over $600,000 has been seized.

“Of the 83 arrests, 21 were for terrorism-related crimes, 28 were for financial fraud and money laundering, 16 were linked to cyber-enabled scams and a further 18 were related to the illicit use of virtual assets,” the statement reads.

“In one significant case from Angola, 25 individuals of multiple nationalities were detained following investigations into informal value transfer systems that were identified as connected to potential terrorist financing and money laundering.

“The operation included the inspection of 30 commercial establishments, where police seized approximately USD 588,000, 100 mobile phones and 40 computers. Sixty bank accounts were also frozen.

“In Kenya, a suspected money laundering operation using a virtual asset service provider was identified as having potential links to terrorism financing.

“The scheme, worth approximately USD 430,000, involved 12 people, two of whom have so far been arrested. In a separate case in Kenya, two individuals were arrested for the online recruitment of young people from East and North Africa into terrorist groups.

“The funds used for the recruitment and radicalization were traced through a cryptocurrency trading platform, back to individuals in Tanzania.

“In Nigeria, the operation led to the arrest of 11 suspected terrorists, including high-level members of several terrorist groups.

“One notable transnational case involved a massive cryptocurrency-based Ponzi scheme, which claimed to be a legitimate online trading platform, affected at least 17 countries around the world, including Cameroon, Kenya, and Nigeria.

“The scheme accumulated more than 100,000 victims around the world, with an estimated loss to victims of USD 562 million.

“The investigations related to Operation Catalyst found that several large-valued wallets were potentially linked to terrorism financing activities. The case is still ongoing, with investigations currently in progress.”

The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC),
Nentawe Yilwatda, has disclosed that “notable figures” from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will be joining the ruling party next week.

Yilwatda spoke on Friday during a meeting with APC stakeholders in Jos, the Plateau state capital.

“Next week, I will be receiving some notable figures from the ADC,” he said.

“Some of those who had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) joined the ADC and are now returning to the APC.

“Many of them have completed their medicals and will be officially unveiled next week.

“In another two weeks, we will unveil yet another big figure who just finished his own medicals.

“He tried to unveil himself the day before yesterday, you probably saw it in the news. But officially, we’ll be receiving him soon.

“More people are coming. More senators, governors, and members of the national assembly are joining. The APC is the bride of the moment.

“The beauty of APC is that it is a party that welcomes people, regardless of when they join.

“You don’t need to have been in APC from the beginning to rise. I am a testimony to this fact; many others are as well.

“If you join APC today, you are a full member with full rights and privileges. That is the spirit and the letter of our party’s constitution.”

The ruling party has witnessed an uptick in the number of politicians joining its fold ahead of the 2027 elections.

The PDP recently lost several members, including governors, to the APC.

Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu, joined the APC this week, with Douye Diri, governor of Bayelsa, reportedly set to formalise his move to the ruling party sooner. Start slideshow