Wike, APC national secretary in verbal war over Rivers

Stay clear of Rivers politics, Wike warns APC National scribe

You are not God, resign, Basiru replies FCT minister

Emeka Agu Jnr

The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike and the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Basiru, on Monday, engaged in verbal war over politics of Rivers State.

While the FCT minister warned the APC national secretary to stay clear of Rivers politics, the ruling party national secretary countered by warning Wike to stop what he called efforts to destabilise the ruling party.

The FCT minister gave the warning to the APC national secretary on Monday during his “thank you” visit to Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers state.

Recall that Basiru had, on Sunday, warned the party’s National Vice-Chairman, South-South, Victor Giadom, to stop disrespecting the Governor Siminalayi Fubara to please Wike.

However, the FCT minister, while taking exception to Basiru’s comments, asked Giadom to tell the APC scribe to stay clear of Rivers politics ‘for his own good’.

“Tell your national secretary to leave Rivers alone, and don’t take our support for Mr President for granted.

“You have to be careful of the statement you made,” he said.

The former Rivers governor also warned those meddling in the politics of the state because of the alleged N600 billion in the state treasury to stay clear.

He stated that when the people of the state were struggling to support President Bola Tinubu in 2023, nobody supported them.

The minister, who described Rivers as “a no go area”, challenged those he described as greedy politicians to stay away from the state.

“Take the one you have taken and stop making unnecessary comments.

“We have taken a decision to support Mr President and that is exactly what we are doing. When we agreed to support Tinubu in 2023, nobody forced us.

“Now, food is ready and everybody is coming, but when it was hot, nobody was saying anything. Leave Rivers state alone,” he warned.

Reacting, the APC) national secretary, Ajibola Basiru, warned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, to stop what he called efforts to destabilise the ruling party.

Basiru said the minister should step down from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet if he cannot stop getting involved in the party’s internal matters.

In a statement released on Monday in Abuja, Basiru said he noticed what he called “the tirade” from the FCT minister against him and his office.

This followed Basiru’s comment that all members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) should respect sitting governors, since governors are the leaders of the party in their states.

Basiru said he was surprised that what he called an “innocuous statement” led to what he described as “uncouth responses” from a member of the Federal Executive Council.

He argued that Wike should not stay on as a minister in an APC-led government if he is causing confusion within the party.

“He cannot be in the Federal Executive Council of an APC government and be causing confusion within any organ or structure of the party at any level, using the leverage of that same office,” Basiru said.

He added: “The honourable thing to do is to resign his appointment as minister.”

Basiru also said that Wike has no right to get involved in the party’s internal affairs, pointing out that the former Rivers governor is not a member of the APC.

“Our records indicate that Minister Nyesom Wike is not a member of our party, the APC, so he lacks the locus to dabble into the affairs of our party,” Basiru said.