Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has declared that no human can give power, except God Almighty.

Atiku’s declaration came on the heels of the ongoing controversy trailing the outcome of the 98th National Executive Committee meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party held in Abuja on Thursday.

The 2023 PDP presidential standard-bearer’s position was contained in a WhatsApp group chat with some of his supporters in the country on Friday.

According to the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the party, among its intra-party resolutions made on Thursday, had approved the reconstitution of its Disciplinary and Reconciliation Committees to further ensure its stability.

Among the key decisions made at the NEC meeting, the party also appointed former Akwa-Ibom State governor, Emmanuel Udom, as the head of its Disciplinary Committee, while former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, remains the head of its Reconciliation committee.

But Atiku told his supporters in the Whatsapp group after the NEC meeting that only God gives power.

His reaction follows insinuations by his supporters that he has been betrayed by some elements within the party.

The former vice president, who had contested six different times to become Nigeria’s president, but failed, said, “There is God. It is God that gives power, not anybody.”

Responding, one of his supporters on the social media group, said, “This is very true, Sir and this same God will answer your heart desires and ours too.

“When the day comes, we shall all be alive to celebrate together as one big family of good faith.

“All our hand work will not go to waste, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. We shall all walk and work together to witness the night. Victory shall be ours. It is well with you, Sir.”

Meanwhile, the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party, Taofeek Arapaja, has addressed the growing calls for the suspension of former Rivers State governor and current Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike, and other members of the defunct G5 governors within the PDP over alleged anti-party activities.

He disclosed in an interview with Saturday PUNCH on Friday in reaction to the resolutions reached at Thursday’s NEC meeting of the party and its North Central Zone leadership meeting held on Wednesday night.

Ahead of the two meetings, some top chieftains of the party, including former PDP governorship candidate in Kogi State, Senator Dino Melaye, had boasted that every top chieftain of the party accused of anti-party activities would get serious sanctions from the party’s NEC on Thursday.

On Thursday, the PDP NEC, however, failed to comment on the alleged anti-party issues and further retained the party’s former Vice Chairman (North), Umar Damagum as the party’s acting national chairman till its next NEC meeting.

Reacting in an interview with Saturday PUNCH on Friday, the PDP National Vice Chairman (South-West) said both Wike and Ortom cannot be suspended by the party’s NEC because it is not the duty of the NEC to do so.

He said, “I think that is not part of the activities of the NEC. We have different committees like the reconciliation committee and the disciplinary committee. So we have internal mechanisms to deal with things like that. And then, they have never been accused; they have never been charged and they haven’t presented themselves for the disciplinary committee or anything. So, I don’t think that is for NEC to do.

“Whoever is alleging them of committing anti-party should forward their complaints to the disciplinary committee. That is just it. There are lots of mechanisms and processes that need to take place and things like that are not the duty of the NEC.”

The Nigeria Police Force has detained a female police officer who was the aide-de-camp to embattled former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello..

The ADC was arrested alongside other police officers attached to 48-year-old Bello, and is being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Their arrests and detention followed a Thursday night order by the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, directing their immediate withdrawal from the former governor.

Senior police sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not have authorisation to comment publicly on the matter, noted that the officers were arrested on the suspicion that they aided and abetted Bello’s escape from operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, who had gone to effect his arrest at his Abuja home on Wednesday.

“The ADC and the other police details attached to Yahaya Bello have been arrested and detained.

“They were arrested on the order of the IG, on the suspicion that they aided and abetted the former governor’s escape from the EFCC on Wednesday,” one of the sources told our correspondent in a telephone conversation on Friday.

Another source said, “Yahaya Bello’s female ADC and other police officers attached to him were brought to the command this morning, and they’ve been detained for aiding and abetting (the governor’s escape).

Egbetokun had, on Thursday night, ordered the withdrawal of all police officers attached to Bello.

The order for the withdrawal was contained in a police wireless message sighted by our correspondent on Friday morning.

The document read:

CB:4001/DOPS/PMF/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.48/ 34 X ORDER AND DIRECTIVES X FOLLOWING MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM NIGPOL.

“DOPS ABUJA X BEGINS X CB:4001/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.21/462 DTO:180955/04/2024 X ORDER AND DIRECTIVES X REF MYLET NO CB:3412/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.1/36 DATED 15/04/2024 X AND MY EARLIER LET NO CB:3412/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.1/30 DATED 24/01/2024 X Nigeria police have ordered the withdrawal of all men.

“Police attached to His Excellency and former Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, should acknowledge compliance and treat with utmost importance. Please above for your information and strict compliance.”

Also, the Federal Government had on Thursday night placed Bello on a watch list.

In a document exclusively obtained by our correspondent on Thursday night, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, revealed that Bello was placed on a watchlist for conspiracy, breach of trust, and money laundering.

Assistant Comptroller General signed the document and copied the Nigeria Customs Service, the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the Department of State Services, and the Director of the National Internet Agency.

The document read, “I am directed to inform you that the above-named person has been placed on a watch list. Suffice to mention that the subject is being prosecuted before the Federal High Court Abuja for Conspiracy, Breach of Trust and Money Laundering vide letter Ref; CR; 3000/EFCC/LS/EGCS.1/TE/V 1/279 dated April 18, 2024.

“If seen at any entry or exit point, he should be arrested and referred to the Director of Investigation, or contact 08036226329/07039617304 for further action.

“Please, accept as always the Comptroller-General’s warmest regards and esteem.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had earlier declared Bello wanted for laundering the sum of N80,246,470,088.88.

The development was contained in a notice posted on the commission’s official Facebook page on Thursday, with a snapshot of the embattled ex-governor attached.

The notice read, “The public is hereby notified that Yahaya Adoza Bello (former Governor of Kogi State), whose photograph appears above is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in connection with an alleged case of Money Laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,089.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Eighty Nine Naira, Eighty Eight Kobo).

1. No fewer than 18 persons are feared dead after gunmen struck on Friday morning in Tilengpan community of Mangu Local Government area of Plateau State. It was reported that 12 individuals were reportedly killed in Mangu villages, with an additional six persons murdered in four Bokkos communities, along with a university student last night.

2. President Bola Tinubu has appointed a new Board for the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC with immediate effect. According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the new board members bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the commission, which plays a vital role in developing and regulating Nigeria’s capital market.

3. President Bola Tinubu on Friday announced the appointment of a new board for the National Insurance Commission, NAICOM with immediate effect. This was contained in a statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.

4. The Nigerian Customs Service, Kebbi State Area Command, has intercepted goods, including 212 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice, worth over N126m. The goods according to the Customs Area Comptroller, Iheanacho Ojike, included 10,025 litres of petrol worth over N2m.

5. Two people were killed on Friday while one other was injured in an accident around the Idogo junction on Ilaro-Owode Yewa Road, Ogun State. This is just as the Ogun Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps threatened to begin a clampdown on motorists parking indiscriminately on the roads.

6. Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, has said Governor Usman Ododo did not help his predecessor, Yahaya Bello, beat security operatives who wanted to arrest him. Speaking in an interview with Channels TV, Fanwo, who also worked under Bello, said Ododo is committed to upholding the laws of the country, including respecting its legal processes.

7. The Nigerian Army, on Friday, released Prince Clement Ikolo Ogenerukevwe, the monarch arrested over the killing of 17 military personnel in Okuama, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.

8. The Lagos State government on Friday, demolished illegal houses in Otto Ilogbo extension of Ebute Metta, Lagos, leaving hundreds homeless. It was gathered that four communities were affected by the demolition. They include Ifesowapo, Ifeoluwa, Toluwani and Ilaje Otumara Community Development Association, CDAs, sparking public outrage.

9. Road crashes that occurred on Thursday and Friday at Gaya Junction in Kano State and Tashar Yari in Kaduna State claimed the lives of 18 people, authorities have said. The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Dauda Biu, has now condemned the use of substandard tyres and excessive speeding by drivers on Nigerian roads.

10. The Managing Director of First Bank Plc, Dr Adesola Kazeem Adedotun is to proceed on pre-retirement notice. He conveyed his decision to the Chairman of First Bank Hassan Odukale. He said in the letter that he would have retired from the bank in December but decided to proceed on pre-retirement leave effective April 20.