KEY POINTS

• APC national secretary Ajibola Basiru says Nyesom Wike should resign as FCT minister and focus on Rivers politics.
• Basiru insists Wike is not an APC member and has no standing to comment on party affairs.
• The APC leadership accuses Wike of attempting to destabilise the party in Rivers State.

Ajibola Basiru, the national secretary of the All Progressives Congress, has asked Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory Minister, to step down from his cabinet position. This is part of a growing political fight in Rivers State.

Basiru said on Monday that Wike’s continued involvement in Rivers politics shows what he called an unhealthy obsession. He also said that it was wrong for a serving minister to question the internal affairs of a party he does not belong to.

His comments came after Wike had told Basiru to stay out of politics in Rivers.

Respect for governors, party structure

Basiru said that members of the APC national working committee must respect the governors of their states as the party’s leaders.

He said that Wike’s response to his earlier comments was surprising and not appropriate for a member of the federal executive council.

Basiru says that party records show that Wike is not a member of the APC and therefore does not have the right to get involved in its internal discussions. He said that as the national secretary, he has to look out for the party’s interests all over the country, not just in Osun, where he lives.

Basiru denied claims about an alleged N600 billion gift in Rivers State, saying the claim was an attempt at blackmail. He told Wike to back up his claim or be ready to defend it in court.