The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Basiru, has asked the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to quit President Bola Tinubu’s government and focus fully on what he described as his ‘obsession’ with Rivers State politics.
Basiru in a statement on Monday, January 5, said the minister had no authority to interfere in the internal affairs of the ruling party, stressing that Wike was not a member of the APC and, therefore, lacked the standing to comment on its leadership or activities.
”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 aren’t confined to Osun State, contrary to his wrong impression.
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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” he said
The APC scribe dismissed what he described as veiled threats issued by Wike, insisting that his political background had prepared him to withstand intimidation from any quarter.
“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 are above board, and I can’t be queried by somebody who isn’t a member of APC,” he said.
Basiru also rejected allegations suggesting that he had an interest in Rivers State funds, particularly the state’s alleged N600 billion allocation, describing the claim as baseless and inconsistent with his record in public service.
Basiru’s statement comes hours after Wike during a “thank-you” visit to Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State on Monday, warned Basiru to stay away from the state’s political affairs.He issued the warning after a chieftain of the party in Rivers state and supporter of Wike described Governor Fubara as ‘’so-called governor”. Basiru had condemned such description, arguing that the seat of a governor is an exalted one that must be respected.
