The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with allegiance to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has given Ajibola Basiru, the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to apologise to the former Rivers State governor within 48 hours.
On Monday, Basiru asked Wike to resign his appointment as minister and focus on what he described as an “obsession” with Rivers politics.
Wike had asked Bashiru to stay off Rivers politics, warning that he would get burnt.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by Etim Isong, factional zonal publicity secretary of the PDP South-South, the faction condemned Basiru’s “personal attack” on Wike.
The group said Basiru’s remarks were inappropriate and capable of undermining the administration of President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.
The statement said it was perplexing that Basiru, who “failed to produce a governor for the APC” in Osun state in 2023, would seek to question the political relevance of Wike in Rivers state.
The faction said Basiru’s suggestion that Wike’s support for Tinubu was no different from that of other non-APC supporters showed “amateurish political judgment”.
“To imply that Minister Wike’s support for President Tinubu is no different from that of other non-APC supporters is a clear indicator of amateurish political judgment,” the statement reads.
The group said Basiru’s call for Wike to resign as FCT minister portrayed him as an opponent of the Tinubu administration.
“Senator Basiru’s call for the resignation of a performing minister like Nyesom Wike portrays him as an opponent of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and an enemy of the Nigerian state,” the statement reads.
The PDP faction said Basiru was unfit to occupy the office of the APC national secretary and called on him to resign.
The group also accused Basiru of attempting to deploy divide-and-rule tactics in Rivers state politics, warning that such efforts would fail.
The faction said Basiru must issue a public apology to Wike and the people of Rivers state within 48 hours.
“He has 48 hours to issue a full apology to Minister Nyesom Wike and the people of Rivers state,” the statement added.
The faction warned that failure to apologise could result in Basiru being declared persona non grata in Rivers state.
The group described Wike as a national leader of the PDP whose influence in Rivers politics remains decisive.
The statement noted that even Siminialayi Fubara recognises Wike as the political leader who built the structure that produced him as governor.
The faction said the APC could not downplay Wike’s role in Rivers politics or his impact on electoral outcomes, including the 2023 election.
“In politics, ingratitude is an offence, and biting the finger that prepares your meal is even a more unforgivable offence,” the statement added.
