APC secretary fires back at Wike, resign and face Rivers politics

All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretary Senator Ajibola Basiru has warned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, to desist from what he described as attempts to destabilize the ruling party, insisting that the minister should “immediately resign” from the President Bola Tinubu administration if he cannot stop interfering in the party’s affairs.

Senator Basiru, in a strongly worded statement issued on Monday in Abuja said his attention had been drawn to what he described as “the tirade of the Minister of the FCT against my person and my office as the National Secretary of the APC,” following his position that “all members of the NWC must accord any sitting Governor his due respect and that the Governors remain the leaders of the Party in their States.”

He expressed shock that “such an innocuous statement can elicit such uncouth responses from no less than a member of the Federal Executive Council.”

Basiru insisted that it was incompatible for Wike to remain in the cabinet of an APC-led government while allegedly causing internal disarray within the party, stating, “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.

He added that “the honourable thing to do is to resign his appointment as Minister.”

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The APC scribe stressed that Wike lacked the standing to interfere in the party’s internal affairs, stating emphatically that “our records indicate that Minister Nyesom Wike is not a member of our Party, APC, so he lacks the locus to dabble into the affairs of our Party.”

Basiru maintained that contrary to Wike’s impression, he had the authority to oversee affairs of the APC across the country as the national secretary of the party.

‎‎He said, “From my record, he isn’t a member of APC. I don’t see which authority or temerity he has to be dabbling into APC affairs.

‎”I am the National Secretary of APC, and I don’t see any basis for him to be making comments about my activities either in Rivers State or in any part of Nigeria.

‎”As the National Secretary of the party, my activities aren’t confined to Osun State, contrary to his wrong impression.

‎”I am the head of the National Secretariat of the APC. So, he has no locus whatsoever to engage me in any political activity that concerns the APC until he joins the party.”

‎‎Basiru also dismissed allegations linking him to an alleged interest in Rivers State funds, describing the claims as baseless and inconsistent with his personal record.

‎”I take strong exception to his allusion that I am interested in the N600 billion allocations of Rivers State. My records of service are those of integrity and commitment to service. I am not an opportunist, and I have never shied away from taking principled positions on any matter, no matter whose ox is gored.

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‎”I am one of the young Nigerians who confronted military dictatorship. I can’t be bullied by anybody, no matter how highly placed. My records as National Secretary are above board, and I can’t be queried by somebody who isn’t a member of APC,” he said.

Wike’s warning

Wike had earlier in the day warned Basiru to steer clear of Rivers State politics, cautioning him against making careless and provocative statements about the state.

He issued the warning on Monday during his thank-you visit to Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State, where he alleged that some political actors had taken advantage of the N600 billion reportedly left in the state’s coffers and were now speaking recklessly about Rivers affairs.

The minister’s warning followed comments credited to the APC Vice Chairman (South-South), Victor Giadom, who had referred to Governor Siminalayi Fubara as “the so-called Governor” during Wike’s earlier visit to Khana and Gokana Local Government Areas.

Giadom was also quoted as saying that Fubara could not secure a second term in office without going through Wike.

Reacting to Giadom’s remarks, Basiru had described them as unfortunate, insisting that the office of the governor deserved respect regardless of political differences.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, the APC national secretary said, “I find it unfortunate that a member of the NWC… was referring to a governor in our party as a ‘so-called governor of Rivers State’.

“The office of the governor is an exalted position, and whoever is occupying it must be respected, irrespective of whatever political differences you have.”

Wike, however, fired back, warning the APC national secretary to desist from meddling in Rivers State politics, declaring the state a “no-go area” for political interference.

He cautioned that those who failed to heed the warning could face serious consequences, urging Basiru to learn from the experiences of others who had attempted similar actions in the past.

“Let me warn those who come to Rivers State, because you have heard that we have N600bn, you come here, you collect, and you open your mouth to talk anyhow.

“I say it here, take this message to your National Secretary, leave Rivers State alone. Go and ask those who have done it before. Don’t take our support for Mr President for granted. You have to be careful with the statements you make.

“Today, you are enjoying in Osun, you don’t know those who did the work. You are opening your mouth to talk about Rivers State. Anything you see, take it.

“Go and ask other people what has happened to them before. If your hand burns, no be me burn am o. This state is a no-go area. Take the one you have taken, stop making unnecessary comments”, he stated.

Basiru’s counter

Basiru, in his reaction on Monday, said as National Secretary, he was “imbued with the responsibility to protect the interests of the Party and all its members and structures,” adding that “my comments regarding the affairs of the APC in Rivers State cannot be an undue interference in the affairs of Rivers State.”

He further declared that “as National Secretary, my activities cannot be confined to my home state, Osun State.”

Reacting to allegations credited to Wike that APC leaders were scrambling for a purported N600 billion largesse in Rivers State, Basiru dismissed the claim as baseless, saying, “This is nothing but cheap blackmail which has become his stock-in-trade.”

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He defended his personal records, stating, “My background, track record is that of unquestionable integrity,” and challenged the minister to “prove his allegations or we may meet in court.”

Basiru also addressed what he described as veiled threats from the FCT minister, warning that Wike was “not God and may be overplaying his political card.”

He said he would not be intimidated, declaring, “My faith is in God and will not succumb to cheap threats such as the one from Wike.”

The APC scribe added that he was “one of the young Nigerians that confronted Military rule, fighting for democracy, when the likes of Wike were nowhere in sight.”

On Wike’s continued public support for President Tinubu, Basiru maintained that such support did not translate into APC membership, noting that “his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not automatically make him a member of the APC.”

He added that “millions of non-APC Nigerians also support Mr President and his own is no different,” warning that “his attempt to destabilize our Party in Rivers State will not be tolerated and he cannot bring the spirit of PDP into the APC.”