The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Ajibola Basiru, has issued a warning to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, threatening legal action over what he described as false and damaging allegations.
This was as he also made a call on the former Rivers State governor to resign his ministerial appointment.
In a statement released on Monday, Basiru said he was taken aback by what he termed a tirade from Wike following his position that sitting governors remain leaders of the party in their respective states and deserve due respect from party organs.
According to the APC scribe, the reaction from the FCT Minister was unbecoming of a member of the Federal Executive Council, stressing that his original comments were neither provocative nor personal but rooted in established party structure and discipline.
Basiru maintained that Wike lacks the standing to interfere in the internal affairs of the APC, noting that available party records do not list the minister as a member of the ruling party.
He added that his role as National Secretary comes with the responsibility to safeguard the interests of the APC across the country, including Rivers State, and not just his home state of Osun.
The APC official also rejected claims allegedly attributed to Wike that he and other party leaders were scrambling for a N600 billion largesse in Rivers State, describing the allegation as blackmail.
He said his political history and public service record are founded on integrity and challenged the minister to substantiate the claim or be prepared to defend it in court.
Responding to what he described as veiled threats, Basiru said he would not be intimidated, insisting that political power is transient.
He recalled his involvement in the struggle against military rule, noting that he had long been committed to democratic ideals.
Basiru further argued that Wike’s public support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not confer APC membership on him, adding that many Nigerians who are not party members also support the President.
He accused the minister of attempting to import internal practices of the Peoples Democratic Party into the APC, a move he said would not be tolerated.
He advised Wike to choose between remaining in the Federal Executive Council of an APC-led government and engaging in actions that fuel division within the party.
According to him, “the honourable option is for the minister to resign if he intends to continue interfering in party affairs.”