Rivers Crisis:Don’t Bring ‘The Spirit Of PDP’ Into APC, Ajibola Basiru Replies Wike ….Igbokwe Sues For Peace
The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Ajibola Basiru has warned the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike not to bring ‘the spirit of the Peoples Democratic Party’ into the ruling party.
Reacting to the attack on his personality for backing the governor of the Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara who is locked in a fight of supremacy with his estranged godfather Wike after defecting to the APC, Basiru said the action of the FCT Minister is unbecoming.
Apparently referring to how the PDP has been torn into two by the Samuel Anyanwu led faction which is loyal to Wike and Kabiru Turaki SAN faction loyal to the Oyo and Bauchi governors, Basiru warned Wike not to destabilise the APC and resigned if he wants to play Rivers’ politics.
He said: “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 regarding 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 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, track-record is 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 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.”
Meanwhile, a top APC leader in Lagos State from the south eastern part of the country, Joe Igbokwe has sued for a calm.
Igbokwe took to his Facebook page and wrote: ” The altercations between Hon Minister FCT, Nyesom Wike and the National Secretary APC Nigeria , Ajibola Basiru is totally uncalled for and unnecessary.
“It is a needless distraction. If out of annoyance you remove your cap and throw it away a mad man will pick and use it forever. Let the misunderstanding cease to exist now. We have a job to do. All hands should be on the deck.
“Nwike is a strong man in this government you can ignore to your own peril. Wike is a huge pillar and asset in APC. He has been an LGA chairman, a Minister, a former Governor and FCT Minister. He is a big pillar in this government.”
