The political feud surrounding Rivers State has intensified, with a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike giving the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, a 48-hour ultimatum to publicly apologize.
The demand comes after a sharp exchange where Basiru called on Wike to resign from his ministerial post to focus on his “obsession” with Rivers politics, accusing him of destabilizing the APC from within.
The Wike-aligned PDP group condemned Basiru’s comments as a “personal attack” and warned that his failure to apologize could result in him being declared persona non grata in Rivers State.
This war of words ignited after Basiru publicly rebuked an APC official for disrespecting Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Wike’s political rival. Wike, in response, warned Basiru on Monday to stay out of Rivers politics.
Basiru fired back, insisting that Wike, as a non-APC member, has no right to interfere in the party’s affairs and should resign from the APC-led government if he wants to continue causing “confusion”.
The PDP faction supporting Wike has now entered the fray, calling Basiru’s stance “amateurish political judgment” and portraying his call for Wike’s resignation as an attack on President Tinubu’s administration.
They reminded Basiru that Wike’s political influence in Rivers was decisive in the 2023 elections and remains crucial for the future.
