Tinubu Support Groups Demand Wike’s Sack over Alleged Insubordination

Tinubu Support Groups Demand Wike’s Sack over Alleged Insubordination

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and pro-Tinubu support groups on Wednesday staged a rally in Abuja, demanding the immediate removal of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over alleged insubordination, attacks on party leadership and actions they said threaten national unity.

The protesters, operating under the banners of the APC Leaders Forum (ALF) and the Tinubu/Shettima Solidarity Movement (TSSM), conveyed their demands in an open letter and press statement addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and routed through the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda.

Addressing journalists during the peaceful rally, the groups said their action was motivated by what they described as deep concern for the stability of the ruling party, national security and the preservation of democratic values.

“We have scheduled a rally today. This is a peaceful assembly of loyal party faithful, dedicated to upholding the integrity of our great party and your visionary leadership,” the groups said.

Describing themselves as staunch supporters of President Tinubu and the Renewed Hope Agenda, the protesters said they could no longer remain silent in the face of what they termed the “egregious misconduct” of the FCT minister.

According to them, Wike’s actions amounted to “a brazen assault on the APC’s leadership, a direct threat to the authority of the President, and a dangerous incitement capable of destabilising Rivers State and the wider Niger Delta.”

“We demand his immediate sack to preserve party unity, protect our elected officials and safeguard national peace,” the statement added.

The groups accused Wike, who is not a registered member of the APC, of launching what they described as unprovoked attacks on the party’s National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru.

They cited comments allegedly made by the minister during a “thank-you tour” of Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State on January 5, 2026, where he was said to have accused Basiru of meddling in Rivers politics for personal gain.

They also recalled a remark attributed to Wike, warning that anyone interfering in Rivers politics would “get their fingers burnt,” which they described as an insult to the integrity of the APC leadership and an affront to the National Working Committee.

Beyond his comments on party officials, the groups alleged that the FCT minister had persistently undermined the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, accusing him of political sabotage.

They claimed Wike had mocked the governor’s leadership, described his emergence as a “mistake” and vowed it would be corrected in 2027.

“As a serving minister in an APC-led government, Wike’s actions amount to anti-party activities that weaken our hold on Rivers State, a key battleground for the APC’s future electoral success,” the statement said.

The protesters also expressed concern over an alleged statement by Wike that “nobody can enter Rivers State,” which they described as a direct challenge to President Tinubu’s authority as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

They warned that portraying Rivers State as a “no-go area” was a dangerous provocation that could incite violence and rekindle memories of past crises in the Niger Delta.

“Wike’s words are a direct attack on your presidency, suggesting he views himself above the law and the APC’s hierarchy,” the groups said.

They warned that the protests would be sustained nationwide if their demand was not met.

“Be informed that we shall proceed with this rally not only at the National Secretariat but across the length and breadth of this country—state by state, local government by local government—until Nyesom Wike is relieved of his appointment as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory,” they declared.

The APC Leaders Forum and the Tinubu/Shettima Solidarity Movement said the rally was also held in solidarity with Governor Fubara, Senator Basiru and the APC National Chairman.

They urged President Tinubu to act decisively to preserve party discipline and national cohesion, insisting that “no individual is bigger than the party or the nation.”

The statement was jointly signed by Chief Dr. Emeka Okoro, Dr. Adekunle Balogun, Alhaji Ibrahim Yusuf and Mallam Abdulkareem Isiaka, who reaffirmed their loyalty to President Tinubu and their commitment to mobilising support for the Renewed Hope Agenda.