BREAKING: APC national secretary asks Wike to resign
Ajibola Basiru, national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has asked Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to resign his appointment and focus on what he described as an “obsession” with Rivers state politics.
In a statement on Monday, Basiru insisted that all members of the APC national working committee (NWC) must accord sitting governors due respect and recognise them as leaders of the party in their states.
Wike had earlier asked the APC national secretary to stay off Rivers politics..
The APC National Secretary in his response dismissed the FCT Minister as a persona non grata in the ruling party.
Senator Basiru maintained that the FCT Minister has no right to dabble into affairs of the ruling 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 isn’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.“
The APC National Secretary also faulted allegation that his defence of Governor Fubara was informed by desperation for party patronage and gratification. Senator Basiru urged the FCT Minister to resign from the cabinet of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and face his obsession with politics of Rivers state.
“Secondly, I take strong exceptions to his allusion that I am interested in the N600 billion allocations of Rivers State. My records of service is that of integrity and commitment to service.
“My background and track record are that of unquestionable integrity, and I challenge him to prove his allegations or we may meet in court.
“I am not an opportunist and I have never shied away from taking principled position on any matter, no matter whose ox is gored.
“As to his veiled threat against me, I am a believer in God, that only God can do something for anybody, no matter how highly placed.
“I am one of the young Nigerians that confronted military dictatorship. I can’t be bullied by anybody, no matter how highly placed. My records as national secretary is above board and I can’t be queried by somebody who isn’t a member of APC.
“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 Mr. 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.”
