The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction loyal to Minister Nyesom Wike has given Ajibola Basiru, national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), 48 hours to apologise for comments they described as a “personal attack.”
Basiru had on Monday called on Wike to resign his ministerial appointment, accusing him of an “obsession” with Rivers State politics. Wike had earlier warned the APC national secretary to stay out of Rivers politics.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, January 6, and signed by Etim Isong, zonal publicity secretary for the PDP south-south faction, the group condemned Basiru’s remarks as “inappropriate” and potentially damaging to President Bola Tinubu’s administration ahead of the 2027 elections.
The faction criticised Basiru for questioning Wike’s political relevance in Rivers, noting his “failure to produce a governor for the APC in Osun State in 2023.”
“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 PDP faction further said Basiru’s call for Wike to resign portrays him as an opponent of the Tinubu administration.
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“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 added.
The faction described Basiru as unfit to hold the office of APC national secretary and accused him of attempting divide-and-rule tactics in Rivers politics, warning such efforts would fail.
“He has 48 hours to issue a full apology to Minister Nyesom Wike and the people of Rivers State,” the statement said, adding that failure to comply could see Basiru declared persona non grata in the state.
The PDP group reiterated Wike’s influence as a national leader of the party, noting that even Governor Siminalayi Fubara recognises him as the political architect behind his electoral success.
“In politics, ingratitude is an offence, and biting the finger that prepares your meal is even a more unforgivable offence,” the statement concluded, emphasising Wike’s decisive role in Rivers politics and the 2023 election outcomes.