The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to resign his appointment, accusing him of undue interference in the internal affairs of the ruling party, particularly in Rivers State.
Senator Basiru made the call in a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, reacting to what he described as a “tirade” of verbal attacks allegedly directed at him by the former Rivers State governor.
The APC scribe said the attacks followed his recent remarks emphasizing that sitting governors remain the leaders of the party in their respective states and must be accorded due respect by party officials.
He expressed shock that what he termed an “innocuous statement” could attract what he described as “uncouth responses” from a serving member of the Federal Executive Council.
“For the avoidance of doubt, our records indicate that Minister Nyesom Wike is not a member of the APC and therefore lacks the locus standi to dabble into the affairs of our party,” Basiru stated.
The APC National Secretary stressed that his position obliges him to protect the interests of the party and its structures nationwide, insisting that his comments on Rivers State APC affairs did not amount to interference.
He added that his constitutional responsibilities could not be restricted to his home state of Osun.
Basiru also dismissed allegations credited to Wike that he and other APC leaders were scrambling for a purported N600 billion in Rivers State, describing the claim as “cheap blackmail.”
He maintained that his personal and public record reflected “unquestionable integrity” and challenged the FCT minister to substantiate the allegations or be prepared to face legal action.
Reacting to what he described as veiled threats from Wike, Basiru said he would not be intimidated, noting that his commitment to democracy predated the current political dispensation.
“I am one of the young Nigerians that confronted military rule and fought for democracy when the likes of Wike were nowhere in sight,” he said.
The APC chieftain further clarified that Wike’s support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not confer APC membership on him, noting that millions of Nigerians outside the ruling party also support the President.
Basiru warned that attempts to destabilise the APC in Rivers State would not be tolerated, adding that the former governor could not “import the spirit of the PDP into the APC.”
He concluded by advising Wike to choose between serving in an APC-led Federal Executive Council and engaging in actions capable of causing confusion within the party.
“The honourable thing to do is to resign his appointment as Minister,” Basiru said.
