The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has launched a stinging rebuke of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, accusing him of undue interference in the affairs of the ruling party and calling on him to resign his ministerial appointment.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, Senator Basiru said he was compelled to respond to what he described as a “tirade” by the FCT Minister against him and his office over comments relating to leadership structures of the APC in Rivers State.

Basiru said his position, that sitting governors remain the leaders of the party in their respective states and must be accorded due respect by all members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), was a routine and innocuous statement that should not have provoked what he called “uncouth responses” from a member of the Federal Executive Council.

The APC scribe stressed that available party records show that Wike is not a member of the APC and therefore lacks the locus standi to meddle in the internal affairs of the party.

“As National Secretary of the APC, I am imbued with the responsibility to protect the interests of the party, its members and its structures nationwide,” Basiru said.

He added that his role cannot be restricted to his home state of Osun.

He also dismissed claims attributed to Wike that he and other APC leaders were scrambling for an alleged N600 billion largesse in Rivers State, describing the allegation as “cheap blackmail” and a familiar tactic of the former Rivers State governor.

Basiru challenged Wike to substantiate the allegation, warning that failure to do so could lead to legal action.

“My background and track record are of unquestionable integrity, and I challenge him to prove his claims or we may meet in court,” he said.

Responding to what he termed veiled threats from the FCT Minister, the APC National Secretary said Wike was “overplaying his political card,” stressing that he would not be intimidated.

He further reminded Wike that supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not confer automatic membership of the APC, noting that millions of Nigerians who are not party members also supported the President.

Basiru accused the minister of attempting to destabilise the APC in Rivers State and warned that such actions would not be tolerated.

He said Wike could not import what he described as “the spirit of the PDP” into the APC.

Basiru argued that it was inappropriate for a serving minister in an APC-led government to use the leverage of his office to foment confusion within the party’s structures at any level.

“The honourable thing for him to do,” Basiru said, “is to resign his appointment as Minister and face his obsession with Rivers politics.”

The statement underscores growing tensions between APC leadership and the FCT Minister, as political manoeuvring in Rivers State continues to attract national attention.