Basiru Asks Wike to Resign as Minister, Stay Out of APC Affairs

Basiru Asks Wike to Resign as Minister, Stay Out of APC Affairs

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to immediately resign his appointment, accusing him of meddling in the internal affairs of the ruling party and attempting to destabilise its structures in Rivers State.

In a statement signed on Monday, Basiru reacted to what he described as a “tirade” by the FCT minister against his person and office, following his position that sitting governors remain leaders of the APC in their respective states and must be accorded due respect by party organs.

Basiru said it was shocking that what he termed an innocuous statement could attract “uncouth responses” from 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 of our Party,” Basiru said.

He stressed that as National Secretary of the APC, he is constitutionally empowered to protect the interests of the party, its members and structures nationwide, noting that his comments on developments within the APC in Rivers State could not be construed as interference in the affairs of the state.

“As National Secretary, my activities cannot be confined to my home state, Osun State,” he added.

Basiru also dismissed allegations attributed to Wike that he and other APC leaders were scrambling for a purported N600 billion largesse in Rivers State, describing the claim as “cheap blackmail.”

“My background and track record are those of unquestionable integrity,” he said, challenging the minister to substantiate the allegation or be prepared to defend it in court.

The APC scribe further reacted to what he described as veiled threats from the former Rivers State governor, saying Wike was “overplaying his political card.”
“He is not God,” Basiru said.

Basiru also rejected suggestions that Wike’s support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu automatically confers APC membership on him.

“Millions of non-APC Nigerians also support Mr. President and his own is no different,” he said, warning that attempts to import the “spirit of the PDP” into the APC would not be tolerated.

He accused the minister of using the leverage of his position in an APC-led Federal Government to foment confusion within party organs, particularly in Rivers State.

“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,” Basiru said.

According to him, the honourable thing to do is for Wike to resign his appointment as minister and focus on his political interests outside the ruling party.