Rivers: Wike Not APC Member, Lacks Right To Dabble In Party Affairs — National Secretary
Senator Ajibola Basiru says his responsibilities as National Secretary cannot be confined to his home state of Osun State. The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has said the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, lacks the right to interfere in the affairs of the APC in Rivers State.Basiru said the former governor was not a member of the APC and therefore lacked the “locus to dabble into the affairs” of the ruling party.
The national secretary stated this in a post on the official X handle of the APC in response to Wike’s warning to him to steer clear of Rivers State politics.“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 [of] our party,” he stated.The former lawmaker said that as National Secretary of the APC, he was 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,” he added.The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, had asked the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, to steer clear of Rivers State politics.READ ALSO: ‘Leave Rivers Alone,’ Wike Tells APC National Secretary‘Leave Rivers Alone’
The FCT minister had, during his thank-you visit to the Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state, told Bashiru to leave Rivers alone after the party chieftain on Sunday warned the National Vice Chairman, South-South of the party, Victor Giadom, to stop disrespecting the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to please Wike.Basiru’s comment followed Giadom’s comments on December 30, 2025, during Wike’s visit to the Gokana Local Government Area, where he referred to Fubara as a “so-called governor”.The national vice chairman had also said that for Fubara to win anything in Rivers, he must go through Wike.
But Wike, who did not take Basiru’s comments lightly, asked Giadom to advise the APC scribe to avoid Rivers politics for his own good.“Tell your national secretary to leave Rivers alone. Go and ask those who have tried it before, and don’t take our support for Mr President for granted.“You have to be careful of the statement you made,” Wike said.The former Rivers governor also stated that he would bring Bashiru’s comment to the attention of President Bola Tinubu.“When Mr. President comes back, when I see the Minister of Blue Economy, I will tell them to tell him. Carry your hand to Rivers State, if your hand burns, don’t say na me burn am,” he said.
He further cautioned those meddling in Rivers politics because of the alleged ₦600 billion in the state treasury to leave the state alone.He explained that when the Rivers people were struggling to support President Bola Tinubu in 2023, nobody supported them.He insisted that the APC scribe and his cohorts should not get themselves involved in politics, otherwise “anything you see you, take”.
The minister, who described Rivers as “a no-go area,” added, “Take the one you have taken and stop making unnecessary comments.“We have taken a decision to support Mr President, and that is exactly what we are doing. When we agreed to support Tinubu in 2023, nobody forced us.“Now, food is ready, and everybody is coming, and when it was hot, nobody was saying anything. Leave Rivers state alone.”
