The suspended Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara, has dismissed purported plans to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Naija News reports that there have been unconfirmed online reports suggesting that Fubara, alongside his Delta State counterpart, Sheriff Oborevwori, and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, are planning to defect to the APC.

The report also suggested that the move was part of a broader strategic political alignment ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Amid the report, Governor Oborevwori defected on Wednesday alongside his deputy, his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, his commissioners, and major Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in his state to the APC.

However, speaking on behalf of his principal, the Special Assistant on Electronic Media to Fubara, Jerry Omatsogunwa, in an interview with DAILY POST, on Thursday, April 24, 2025, reaffirmed that the Governor remains a member of the PDP.

Omatsogunwa expressed doubt that the governor was aware of the rumoured defection, adding he had not spoken about dumping the PDP.

He said, “I doubt if the governor is even aware of the rumoured defection right now that he wants to defect. I doubt if the governor is aware.

“As it stands now, we are still members of the PDP, and nothing has changed as far as we are concerned right now. That is the stance of things right now.

“For now, as we are talking, the governor has not talked about defection. He is still a bona fide member of the PDP.

“And I can tell you for free that the governor, our Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is the Deputy Chairman of the PDP Governor’s Forum. And that’s how things stand right now. Today is 24 April, 2025, and this is 9:46 am; as it stands right now, the governor is still a bona fide member of the PDP. I don’t know anything about defection.”

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the arrest and remand of six promoters of the now-collapsed and fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scheme known as “CBEX,” over an alleged $1 billion scam targeting Nigerian victims.

Naija News reports that Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order on Thursday following an ex parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Adefowora Abiodun Olanipekun, Emmanuel Oku, and four other defendants.

The EFCC alleges that the defendants used a company called ST Technologies to promote CBEX, luring Nigerians to invest in the scheme.

EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale had pledged to recover Nigerians’ lost investments in the alleged 1.3 trillion naira CryptoBank Exchange scam, committing to take action in collaboration with Interpol and other international agencies.

During the resumed court session on Thursday, EFCC counsel Fadila Yusuf informed the court of a motion ex parte concerning investigations into CBEX and the Commission’s intention to prosecute the suspects in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

“An order of this Honourable Court for the issuance of a warrant of arrest for the defendants. An order of this Honourable Court remanding the defendants in the custody of the Complainant/Applicant pending the conclusion of the investigation into the alleged offences and possible prosecution,” Yusuf said in open court. She emphasized that the case involves foreign collaborators and a scam worth over $1 billion.

Yusuf explained that while the defendants have not yet been apprehended, they used ST Technologies International Limited to promote Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX), advertising unrealistic returns and luring unsuspecting members of the public to invest cryptocurrencies on the CBEX platform, with promises of returns of up to 100%.

She further noted that the funds were not stored in any Nigerian accounts, and unraveling the full scope of the syndicate’s activities would take time.

In its application, the EFCC stated that victims were made to convert their digital assets into the stablecoin USDT, which was then deposited into wallets controlled by the suspects. After victims deposited over $1 billion, the CBEX platform became inaccessible, preventing users from withdrawing their investments and exposing the operation as a scam.

The EFCC also stressed that although ST Technologies International Limited was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), it was not licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to operate as an investment platform.

The EFCC further argued that a warrant of arrest is necessary to place the defendants on a Red Notice list so they can be tracked and arrested to face charges.

After reviewing the EFCC’s submissions and court documents, Justice Nwite found merit in the application and granted the motion as prayed.

Nigerian activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju has claimed that the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi and his counterpart in the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso worked for President Bola Tinubu in the last election.
He asserted that Obi is likely to work for Tinubu again and will most probably refuse to join the coalition.

Speaking on Thursday via a post shared on his ? page, Adeyanju disclosed what must be done for the coalition by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to succeed.

He argued that all self-centered politicians like Atiku and Obi must be neutral and not run in 2027.

According to Adeyanju, “I’m 100% convinced that Obi worked for Tinubu’s in 2023 & will do so again. I might be wrong but I’m convinced in my mind about this.

“Once a businessman, always a businessman man. Those still in doubt will see the clear hand writing before 2027. He will refuse to join coalition.

“Kwankwaso also worked for Tinubu. For the coalition to succeed, all the self centered politicians like Atiku & Obi should promise not to run and allow neutral folks to run against Tinubu.

“This is how to put the interest of the nation above personal interest. The biggest industry in Africa is politics.

“And those around popular politicians are all merchants. This is why once politics is around the corner, they are in business. Con men and women who just want to cash out. This is why they never tell politicians the truth.”

Tajudeen Yusuf, a former member of the house of representatives, says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing the consequences of neglecting its zoning arrangement during the 2022 presidential primaries.

Yusuf, who represented the Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency, spoke on Thursday when he appeared on Sunrise Daily, a programme on Channels Television. 

In the build up to the 2023 presidential election, some PDP chieftains called for the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket to the south. 

However, Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, who is from the north, won the PDP presidential primary — a development that created division in the party.

There has been a recent wave of defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections, including Sheriff Oborevwori, the Delta state governor.

Speaking on the show, the ex-Kogi lawmaker said the collapse of the zoning arrangement marked a turning point for the PDP.

Yusuf said a similar debate over the party’s zoning agreement emerged in 2014, when former President Goodluck Jonathan took over after Umar Musa Yar’Adua’s passing.

He said that most party members from the north felt short-changed by Jonathan’s emergence as the party’s candidate in 2011.

“A lot has changed in PDP, but the most fundamental shift came in 2023 when we abandoned our core principle of zoning the presidency,” Yusuf said.

“If you recall, in 2014, the agitation was that Yar’Adua didn’t finish his term and Jonathan took over, which many believed ate into the North’s turn.

“That led five governors — led by prominent figures like Atiku Abubakar — to walk out of the convention at Eagle Square, marking the start of PDP’s internal crisis.

“By 2019, most of them, including Atiku and Tambuwal, returned to the party, in line with our principle, the party zoned the presidency to the North to avoid a repeat of past issues.

“By 2023, naturally, it should have rotated back to the South, but because of certain vested interests — people who felt they could influence the process — zoning was deliberately blocked.

“I was at the meeting, and I remember saying, ‘If we don’t zone, we will regret this’; because in Nigeria today, politics is still very much tied to religion and ethnicity — maybe one day that will change, but not now.”

Yusuf said those who derailed zoning in 2023 are now regrouping ahead of the next general election.

He noted that although PDP governors now meet regularly, they are not supporting the party financially.

“This is the first time in about ten years of PDP being in opposition that governors are not actually funding the party,” he said.

The lawmaker added that the PDP is going through “one of the toughest political periods” in its history since losing power in 2015.

Nine weeks after its last sitting, the National Economic Council (NEC) reconvened on Thursday with the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Ibok-Ete Ibas, among key attendees at the meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The NEC, which last met on February 20, is Nigeria’s top advisory body on economic policy, comprising the Vice President, all 36 state governors, and key federal ministers.

The February meeting had focused on the launch of the Nutrition 774 initiative aimed at tackling malnutrition nationwide.

Thursday’s session is expected to be dominated by discussions on rising insecurity across the country and the growing calls for the establishment of state police—a topic that was conspicuously absent during the last meeting.

The presence of the Rivers State Sole Administrator is particularly notable, coming in the wake of political tensions and legal uncertainties surrounding the leadership of the oil-rich Niger Delta State.

Also present at the meeting were the Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, among others

The Adamawa State Police Command said its operatives arrested 148 suspects, recovered eleven AK-47 rifles and 20 locally fabricated assault rifles.

Also recovered by the command is 110 live rounds of ammunition, two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) as well as three stolen vehicles.

Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Dankombo Morris disclosed this during a press briefing in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

He said the feats were possible through the Command’s re-designed operational and intelligence capabilities and intensified security measures to address emerging threats and reduce crime within the state.

CP Morris said the strategic move has yielded significant outcome that resulted in the arrest of numerous kidnapping, armed robbery, culpable homicide, and rape suspects, as well as recovery of arms and ammunitions.

According to the CP, the two IEDs were planted by Boko Haram terrorists in some communities within Hong local government area, and were detonated.

He added that the police also rescued six kidnap victims in collaboration with sister security agencies.

The CP commended the gallant officers and men involved in these successful operations and assured the public that the Command will spare no effort in ensuring the safety and security of all residents in the state.

In an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu, former presidential adviser, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has called on the Nigerian leader to forgo a second term and pave the way for a younger generation of leaders ahead of the 2027 general election.

According to the letter, widely circulated on Wednesday, Baba-Ahmed urged President Tinubu to “step aside—not for your opponents, but for a new generation of Nigerians who can carry the nation forward with fresh energy and ideas.”

Baba-Ahmed, who recently resigned as Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Office of the Vice President, argued that Tinubu’s most dignified political exit would be to voluntarily retire and support new leadership.

“Our generation has done its time,” he wrote. “It would be a masterstroke if you and your party yielded the field to new voices and new leadership. That way, you could catalyse a peaceful, historic transformation and inspire a new political culture rooted in merit, unity, and progress.”

He urged the president to reflect on his legacy and warned against being consumed by re-election ambitions.

“You hold what your opposition lacks: the power to reduce the harshness of life for the average Nigerian. Use it well. Watch 2027, yes—but don’t become consumed by it,” Baba-Ahmed cautioned.

While acknowledging that the Tinubu administration inherited a difficult economic situation and an exhausted population, Baba-Ahmed said the president has failed to convert the early optimism into effective governance.

He criticised the administration’s signature policy agenda, the Renewed Hope Agenda, as “a set of campaign promises, not a coherent governance plan.” He also questioned the competence of Tinubu’s cabinet, claiming that “more than half has no business managing an administration tasked with improving security, livelihoods, or public trust.”

The former aide also disclosed that during his 18-month tenure, he never had a one-on-one meeting with the president—further evidence, he suggested, of Tinubu’s distant leadership style.

“If you shift attention now to electoral ambitions, you risk losing both governance momentum and public goodwill,” he warned. “If you win again without reforming your style and strategy, you may spend four more years preserving failure. If you lose, your legacy could be wiped out in an instant.”

Baba-Ahmed noted widespread dissatisfaction across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.

“The North is drifting from your leadership under the weight of economic hardship, insecurity, and alienation. The East remains politically disengaged, while the South-South is fragmented. The South-West has been lukewarm, and its privileged position may become a burden. The North-East is deeply wounded and can no longer be taken for granted,” he stated.

He accused Tinubu of isolating himself from both the people and potential allies.

“Your closed-door style of leadership, your apparent indifference to complaints of ethnic bias in appointments, and the perception that you frequently run the country from abroad… have created the image of an isolated leader heading an insular administration,” he wrote.

Baba-Ahmed also criticised the administration’s communication strategy, describing it as “a crowd of spokespersons who often confuse rather than clarify your policies.”

Reacting to the letter, Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga dismissed Baba-Ahmed’s criticisms, attributing his remarks to the timing of his recent resignation.

“President Tinubu is unfazed by the attacks of Baba-Ahmed and his co-travellers. We await his so-called revelations,” Onanuga said.

Meanwhile, Senator Ajibola Basiru, National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), defended the administration’s track record. Speaking on Channels Television, Basiru rated Tinubu’s government at 78 percent and highlighted key achievements including the launch of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and CreditCorp to expand consumer credit.

“We have stimulated agricultural production, which has contributed to a downward trend in food inflation. We have also addressed the shortage of funds for infrastructure development,” Basiru said, citing major projects such as the coastal highway and rail expansion.

Despite growing internal critiques, the Tinubu administration maintains that its reforms were on course, while political observers watch closely to see how the president will respond to rising calls for generational leadership change.

Suspected insurgents linked to the Islamic State in the Sahel Province (ISSP), locally referred to as Lakurawa, have launched a violent attack on Kalenjini town, the hometown of Isa Kalenjini, chairman of Tangaza local government area council in Sokoto State.

Eyewitnesses reported that the coordinated assault occurred shortly after the local government chairman left his residence, making many to believe that he was the primary target of the attack.

The Sokoto State Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ahmed Rufa’i, confirmed the incident, stating that joint security forces were on the trail of the attackers.

He noted that some of the livestock stolen during the raid have been recovered after the assailants fled into the Tangaza forest.

Efforts to reach Isa Kalenjini for comments proved unsuccessful, as calls to his telephone remained unanswered as at the time of filing this report.

The attack on Kalenjini town comes on the heels of a similar violent raid on April 22, 2025, when members of Lakurawa terrorist group, in collaboration with armed bandits, attacked Saminaka village, also in Tangaza LGA of the State.

During the assault, one person identified as Salihu Isiyaku Hamza was killed, and a large number of livestock comprising sheep, camels, and cattle—were rustled. The attackers reportedly escaped into Gohono forest after firing sporadically to cause panic.

The late Hamza was laid to rest in accordance with Islamic rites.

The ISSP (Lakurawa), a designated terrorist organisation, has been increasingly remain active in the region, escalating attacks on rural settlements, local leaders, and security personnel.

Security agencies have intensified surveillance and patrols in the area as residents continued to call for more proactive and permanent solutions to the deteriorating security situation.

The defections led to the collapse of the entire PDP structure into the ruling APC, ending 26-year run of the PDP in the governance of Delta State.

The high-level defections followed a meeting of PDP leaders and stakeholders in the state on Wednesday in Asaba, the state capital.

Announcing the outcome of the meeting at a press conference in Asaba, the state capital, Delta State commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, flanked by Senator James Manager, a pioneer member of the party, disclosed that Vice President Kashim Shetima was expected to receive Governor Sheriff Oborewvori and the PDP family into the APC camp in Asaba on Monday.

Vice President Shettima will be attend a rally at the Cenotaph in Asaba on Monday.

Consequently, the governor has directed all PDP stakeholders in the state to join the APC.

The defections come barely a week after Governor Oborevwori and his Akwa Ibom State counterpart, Umo Eno, pledged support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 second-term ambition.

LEADERSHIP exclusively reported in January that at least five PDP governors, including Oborevwori, would defect to the APC.

Although Oborevwori had consistently denied reports of his defection to the ruling APC, PDP leaders in the Delta insisted that he had perfected his plan to jump ship.

The PDP leaders had claimed that the governor had perfected his defection to the APC during a visit to President Bola Tinubu in Lagos early this year.

The governor’s defection further reduces the number of PDP governors to 11, a far cry from the party’s peak as a ruling party in 2007 when it held 29 of Nigeria’s 36 states.

Briefing journalists at the end of yesterday’s meeting, the state commissioner for works (rural roads) and public information, Charles Aniagwu, said the decision became necessary following the unfortunate happenings at the party’s national level.

He said: “For some time now, the media, particularly social media, have been awash as to what political decisions we will take in Delta.

“While that was on, the governor and the leaders of the party have been very busy carrying out some necessary consultations and it is also part of that consultation that has resulted in this meeting today for the leaders of the PDP to be able to advise as to what necessary steps that needed to be taken.”

According to him, the party leaders were unanimous on the need for a political change in the state.

He went on: “And there was a need for change that would help cement the development in our state; to build the bond of love that has existed in our state, and to further advance the security and welfare of our people.

“As you know, all politics is local. So in taking this decision, we came to the inevitable conclusion that moving out of the PDP is very necessary for us to collaborate with our kith and kin and build that bond that we have been enjoying.

“We believe that what is happening in the PDP at the national level can be likened to that of palm wine, whose taste has changed, which is why this decision has been made.

“By the grace of God, on Monday next week, we will be able to say that we are moving to the APC boldly.”

Also speaking, Senator James, the pioneer chairman of the PDP in the state, said the decision was made in consultation with various stakeholders across the state.

“You have just been told about some things happening in the Delta State PDP. Some consultations have been going on, and the climax of these consultations is what you are seeing today.

“We have discussed and have agreed to disagree, and it is a unanimous agreement. I am the pioneer state chairman of the PDP, but you cannot be in a boat already capsizing because I am a riverine man.

“Looking at issues the way they are; we have come to the inevitable conclusion to do something else. It is a collective decision for so many reasons.”

Manager referenced the PDP Governors’ decision at a recent meeting not to collaborate with any other political party towards dethroning the ruling APC in 2027 as evidence that the PDP was heading nowher.

“But as disadvantaged as the PDP is now with about 11 governors, how do you go into a contest with an incumbent president? You think you can win? That particular resolution killed the spirit of so many PDP members.

“We (PDP) lost the election in 2015 due to a merger which even included splinter groups from the PDP. There are also other reasons.

“Today, Sen Anyanwu is the party’s national secretary; tomorrow, it will be another person. The party must be in a position to win an election. So you see that it is becoming hilarious. The PDP is truly in trouble.

“If you look closely, the current PDP state chairman, the governor, the deputy governor, the immediate past governor, and the speaker were in the meeting – all these persons were in the meeting; also National Assembly and House of Assembly members: the who’s who in Delta State were in the meeting to make this decision,” he said.

With Oborevwori now wearing APC’s colours, the South’s political map has tightened. The new alignment enhances President Bola Tinubu’s re-election chances by adding roughly 1.4 million Delta votes to the ruling party, assuming that the ordinary people align with the political choices of the political elite.

The state deputy governor, Sir Monday Onyeme, the immediate past governor of the state and former vice-presidential candidate of the party, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, members of the National Assembly, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, members of the State House of Assembly, commissioners, local government council chairmen, top government functionaries, and party officials attended the meeting.

APC Welcomes Gov Oborevwori, Okowa, Others, Assures Of Party’s Cooperation, Accommodation

Meanwhile, the APC National Working Committee has welcomed Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and other leaders of the PDP to the ruling party.

APC national publicity secretary Felix Morka, who spoke to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday after the defection of Oborevwori, Okowa and other Delta PDP leaders, assured them of cooperation and accommodation in the ruling party’s family.

He said the APC NWC led Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje was highly elated by the decision of Governor Oborevwori to join the party, along with eminent leaders of the PDP including former governor and vice presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 presidential election, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, senior administration officials, leaders and members of the House of Assembly, local government chairmen and councillors in the state, and teeming leaders and  members of the PDP.

“With this move, coming on the heels of steady decamping of PDP leaders and members across the state to APC, including members of Delta Unity Group in Ika federal constituency, we are delighted that Delta state, now an APC state, stands poised to contribute maximally to the success and realisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and to the enduring good and prosperity of Deltans and all Nigerians,” Morka stated.

6-term Lawmaker Dumps PDP

In the same vein, a ranking member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Oluwole Oke, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Oke, a six-term lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency in Osun State, said he left the PDP after consulting his political associates, friends, and family members.

His resignation letter, which LEADERSHIP sighted, was dated April 16, 2025, and addressed to the PDP chairman in Ward 7, Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State. A copy was sent to the national and state chairmen.

“I wish to formally notify you that I am resigning my membership in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) immediately.

“This was concluded after consultation and engagement with my political associates, family and friends. I wish you would accept my resignation in good faith,” the letter reads.

However, the lawmaker did not disclose his next political move, even as he urged his loyalists and supporters to leave the PDP and await his next direction.

Oke was suspended by the Osun State PDP Chapter due to his alleged loyalty to President Tinubu.

LP Senator Mulls Joining Ruling Party 

There are strong indications that Senator Neda Imansuen, who represents Edo South Senatorial District under the Labour Party (LP) platform, may soon defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as members of the APC mount continue to pressure on federal lawmakers.

The Labour Party at national and Edo State levels have been engulfed in an intractable leadership crisis and factions.

The lawmakers had evaded questions on his continuous membership of the LP on several occasions owing to the crisis rocking the party.

Imansuen is often seen in public functions alongside notable APC leaders in Edo State. He is said to enjoy cordial relationships with the state’s ruling party members. Rumours over his likely defection had sent tongues wagging in political circles.

Giving credence to the speculation and his imminent defection, the special adviser to Governor Monday Okpebholo on Political Mobilisation and Engagement, Hon Eugene Utubor, visited the Edo politician Tuesday night pressure him into joining Governor Okpebholo in his developmental agenda.

It was reliably gathered that the meeting, which lasted for several hours, centred on bringing in the LP National Assembly member to join the party. A source privy to the meeting described it as fruitful.

Imansuen, the Senate Committee chairman on Ethics and Privileges, expressed gratitude for the visit and commended Okpebholo’s efforts at driving development in the state.

He was quoted as having stated, “The governor has done remarkably well in such a short time.

“It is crucial that we come together to ensure the success of his vision for our people. Every well-meaning Edo citizen is encouraged to rally around the governor as he works diligently for our collective progress.”