Congress (APC), has urged Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to resign from his ministerial position and stop what he described as an “obsession” with Rivers State politics.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a statement on Monday, Basiru insisted that members of the APC national working committee (NWC) must respect sitting governors and acknowledge them as party leaders in their states.
The statement followed Wike’s earlier remarks instructing the APC national secretary to stay out of Rivers politics. Basiru described Wike’s response as “uncouth” and “shocking,” arguing that a seemingly innocuous comment should not provoke such a reaction from a federal executive council (FEC) member.
Basiru emphasised that Wike is not a member of the APC and therefore “lacks the locus to dabble into the affairs” of the party. “As national secretary of the APC, I am mandated to protect the interests of the party and its members nationwide. Hence, my comments on the affairs of the APC in Rivers state cannot be an undue interference,” he said.
Rejecting Wike’s reference to an alleged N600 billion largesse in Rivers State, Basiru described it as “cheap blackmail” and challenged Wike to provide evidence or face legal action. He stressed his personal integrity and experience in defending democracy, saying he would not succumb to “cheap threats.”
Basiru added that Wike’s support for President Bola Tinubu does not automatically make him an APC member. “Millions of non-APC Nigerians also support Mr President, and his own is no different,” he said.
He accused Wike of attempting to destabilise the APC in Rivers State and warned that such interference would not be tolerated. “He cannot bring the spirit of the PDP into the APC,” Basiru said.
Calling it improper for Wike to serve in the federal executive council while creating confusion within the APC, Basiru insisted, “The honourable thing to do is to resign his appointment as minister.”
