The political battle lines over Rivers State have been drawn as Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike and All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretary Bashiru engaged in a heated exchange, trading accusations and counterclaims over the state’s affairs.
The spat began after Wike criticized Bashiru’s role in Rivers State politics, warning him to steer clear of the state’s affairs, following the APC National Secretary’s warning to the party’s South-South National Vice-Chairman, Victor Giadom, against disrespecting Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara to please Wike.
During a ‘thank you’ visit by Wike to Gokana LGA last week Tuesday, Giadom expressed support for the former Rivers governor amid tensions with Fubara, emphasizing the FCT minister’s pivotal role in elections in the state.
“To the so-called governor of Rivers State, to win anything in this state, you must go through Wike,” Giadom had said.
Reacting, Bashiru described it as unfortunate that a member of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) could refer to a governor of the party as a “so-called governor of Rivers State.”
However, speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Oyigbo LGA of the state on Monday, Wike criticized the National Secretary for allegedly interfering in Rivers politics, warning him against taking sides in Rivers politics and urging him to stay away from the state’s affairs.
“Go and ask those who have tried it before. Don’t take our support for Mr. President for granted. You have to be careful with the statements you make. Today, you are enjoying in Osun, but you don’t know those who did the work. Now you open your mouth to talk about Rivers State. Anything you see, take it,” Wike said.
He added that he would meet President Bola Tinubu upon his return to the country and, in that meeting, ask Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Blue Economy and former governor of Osun, to warn Bashiru to steer clear of Rivers politics.
“Carrying your hands to Rivers State, if they burn, don’t say I burnt it. I can challenge anybody; this state is a no-go area, whether you like it or not. Don’t dare. So, stop making unnecessary comments,” Wike warned.
In response, Bashiru defended his position as APC National Secretary, insisting that Wike, a non-member of the party, has no authority to meddle in party affairs.
Hours after Wike’s remarks, Bashiru fired back through a statement on his social media handle, even suggesting that Wike resign from the Federal Executive Council if he cannot respect party structures.
According to him, “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 on 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.
