Wike-backed PDP bloc gives APC scribe 48-hour ultimatum to apologise

 

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, to tender a public apology over comments deemed offensive.

The faction was reacting to Basiru’s recent remarks in which he asked Wike to resign his ministerial appointment and accused him of being overly preoccupied with Rivers State politics. Wike had earlier cautioned the APC national secretary to refrain from meddling in Rivers affairs.

In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by Etim Isong, the factional Zonal Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the South-South, the group condemned what it described as Basiru’s “personal attack” on the former Rivers State governor.

According to the statement, Basiru’s comments were inappropriate and capable of undermining President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration ahead of the 2027 general election.

The group questioned Basiru’s political standing, noting that he “failed to deliver a governor for the APC” in Osun State during the 2023 governorship election, yet sought to challenge Wike’s political relevance in Rivers State.

The faction further described Basiru’s suggestion that Wike’s support for President Tinubu was no different from that of other non-APC supporters as a display of “amateurish political judgment”.

“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 said.

It added that Basiru’s call for Wike to resign as FCT minister portrayed him as an adversary of the Tinubu administration.

“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 read.

The faction went further to declare that Basiru was unfit to occupy the office of APC national secretary and urged him to step down.

It also accused him of attempting to introduce divide-and-rule tactics into Rivers State politics, warning that such moves would fail.

The group insisted that Basiru must issue a public apology to Wike and the people of Rivers State within 48 hours or risk being declared persona non grata in the state.

“He has 48 hours to issue a full apology to Minister Nyesom Wike and the people of Rivers State,” the statement added.

Describing Wike as a national leader of the PDP, the faction said his influence in Rivers politics remained decisive, noting that even Governor Siminalayi Fubara acknowledged Wike as the political leader who built the structure that produced his administration.

The statement stressed that the APC could not downplay Wike’s role in Rivers politics or his impact on electoral outcomes, including the 2023 general election.

“In politics, ingratitude is an offence, and biting the finger that prepares your meal is an even more unforgivable offence,” the faction said.