‘Leave FCT, Face Rivers War’: APC National Secretary Basiru Drops Bombshell On Wike
The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has asked the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to resign from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet and “fully face his obsession with Rivers politics.”
In a statement on Monday, Senator Basiru said his attention was drawn to what he described as a “tirade” by Wike against his person and office over his recent position that all members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) must accord sitting governors their due respect as leaders of the party in their respective states.
He expressed shock that what he called an “innocuous statement” could attract what he termed an “uncouth response” from a member of the Federal Executive Council, insisting that governors remain the recognized leaders of the party in their states.
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Senator Basiru maintained that available records show that Wike is not a registered member of the APC and therefore lacks the locus standi to “dabble into” the internal affairs of the ruling party.
He stressed that as National Secretary, he is duty-bound to protect the interests of the party, its members and structures nationwide, and so his comments on developments in Rivers APC cannot be interpreted as interference in the governance of the state.
“As National Secretary, my activities cannot be confined to my home state, Osun State,” he stated.
The APC scribe also faulted Wike’s allegation that he and other APC leaders were scrambling for a purported N600 billion largesse in Rivers State, dismissing the claim as “cheap blackmail” and “his stock-in-trade.”
Basiru, who described his background and track record as one of “unquestionable integrity,” challenged the FCT Minister to substantiate the allegation or be ready to defend it in court.
Reacting to what he called Wike’s “veiled threat” against him, Basiru said the minister was “not God” and warned that he might be overplaying his political cards.
He recalled his days in the pro-democracy struggle, saying he belonged to the generation of young Nigerians who confronted military rule “when the likes of Wike were nowhere in sight.”
Senator Basiru further argued that Wike’s open support for President Bola Tinubu does not automatically translate into APC membership, pointing out that “millions of non-APC Nigerians” also support the President.
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He accused the FCT Minister of attempting to destabilise the APC in Rivers State and warned that the party would not allow him to “import the spirit of PDP into the APC.”
Advising Wike to choose a clear political path, the APC National Secretary insisted that the FCT Minister cannot remain in the Federal Executive Council of an APC-led government and at the same time “cause confusion” within organs and structures of the ruling party using the influence of his office.“
The honourable thing to do is to resign his appointment as Minister,” Basiru declared.
