By Desire Emmanuel
National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, on Monday, January 5, called on Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to immediately resign from the government of President Bola Tinubu and stop meddling in the affairs of the party.
The demand follows Wike’s warning earlier on Monday to Basiru to “leave Rivers State alone” and steer clear of its politics, amid accusations of meddling.
Wike, while speaking during a thank-you visit to supporters in Oyigbo Local Government Area, described Rivers as a “no-go area” for external interference, cautioned against taking his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for granted, and alleged that some APC leaders were scrambling for alleged N600 billion “largesse” in the state.
Responding to Wike’s outbursts, Bashiru, in a statement issued in Osogbo, Osun State, described Wike’s response as a “tirade” and “uncouth,” insisting it was provoked by his own principled defence of governors’ respect within the party including Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, regardless of political differences.
The statement reads: “My attention has been drawn to the tirade of the Minister of the FCT against my person and my office as the National Secretary of the APC.
“This is as regards my 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. It is shocking that such an innocuous statement can elicit such uncouth responses from no less than a member of the Federal Executive Council.
“For the avoidance of doubt, 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 our party.
“And as National Secretary of the APC, I am imbued with the responsibility to protect the interests of the party and all its members and structures. Hence, my comments on the affairs of the APC in Rivers State cannot be an undue interference in the affairs of Rivers State. As National Secretary, my activities cannot be confined to my home state, Osun State.
“I also take exception to Wike’s reference to a certain N600 billion largesse in the state for which I and other APC leaders are scrambling. This is nothing but cheap blackmail which has become his stock-in-trade. My background and track record are that of unquestionable intergrity and I challenge him to prove his allegations or we may meet in court.
“As to his veiled threat against me, let me remind Wike that he is not God and may be overplaying his political card. My faith is in God and will not succumb to cheap threats such as the one from Wike. I am one of the young Nigerians that confronted military rule, fighting for democracy, when the likes of Wike were nowhere in sight.
“Let me also remind Nyesom Wike that his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not automatically make him a member of the APC. Millions of non-APC Nigerians also support the president and his own is no different. His attempt to destabilise our party in Rivers State will not be tolerated and he cannot bring the spirit of PDP into the APC.
“Finally, my advice to Nyesom Wike is that 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. The honourable thing to do is to resign his appointment as minister.“
