All Progressives Congress (APC), with senior party stakeholders and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu support groups publicly calling for the sacking of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, alleging that his conduct amounts to anti-party activities that threaten APC unity and destabilise political control in Rivers State.
The escalating dispute, which has played out over recent days, stems from a series of public interventions by Wike, himself a former governor of Rivers State and a once-powerful leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), that critics say unfairly target the APC’s internal decision-making and undermine the party’s leadership in the oil-rich South-South region.
At a rally in Abuja, prominent APC leaders and Tinubu support groups issued a strong statement condemning what they described as Wike’s “brazen assault on the APC’s leadership.” The groups asserted that the FCT minister had launched “vicious, unprovoked attacks” against the party’s National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, despite Wike not being a registered member of the APC.
The statement reads,“Wike’s actions represent a direct threat to your authority (as President) as Commander-in-Chief, and a dangerous incitement that could destabilise Rivers State and the entire Niger Delta region.”
Speakers at the event urged President Tinubu to remove Wike from his ministerial post “immediately”, warning that protests could spread across the country until the minister is relieved of his duties. They also accused Wike of mocking Governor Fubara, calling his leadership a “mistake” and threatening that the APC would lose influence in Rivers if immediate action was not taken.
The friction in Rivers emerged after Wike, in a visit to parts of the state, publicly admonished party officials and asserted that outsiders should not interfere in Rivers politics. In a message widely circulated on social media and reported by local outlets, Wike told the APC national secretary to “stay out of Rivers politics,” suggesting that meddling by national party officials could have serious consequences.
APC critics of Wike argue that his assertiveness, particularly in a state where political allegiance and party dominance have shifted rapidly, undermines the authority of elected APC leaders like Governor Fubara and blurs lines between federal appointments and party organisational structures.
In response, top APC figures have publicly distanced the party from Wike’s conduct. According to reports, the APC National Director of Information, Bala Ibrahim, stressed that the FCT minister has “no right” to meddle in APC affairs because he is not a formal member of the party. He said:
“He’s a lawyer, and anybody who meddles in affairs that don’t belong to him is a busybody.”
Ibrahim warned that if Wike does not desist from influencing APC internal matters, the party would be forced to “cut off his wings.” He emphasised that having presidential support does not translate into party membership or authority within the APC’s organisational hierarchy.
Another senior APC official reiterated the position in similar terms.
“Since the President is a member of our party, by extension, our party is a beneficiary of Wike’s support…but that does not give him the power to interfere with the affairs of the APC.”
Despite the intense backlash, Wike’s camp has struck a defiant tone. Multiple reports indicate that the minister has continued his grassroots engagements in Rivers State while reaffirming his loyalty to President Tinubu and the federal government in his official statements and posts on X (formerly Twitter). He has continued to position his involvement in Rivers politics as part of broader political consultation and grassroots mobilisation in support of the President’s agenda.
Political analysts say the confrontations reflect deeper strategic struggles within the APC as it approaches the 2027 general elections, particularly in swing states like Rivers. Some observers argue that Wike’s influence, built over years of political dominance in the South-South, continues to complicate party cohesion, especially when overlapping with federal appointments.
The conflict has also raised questions about how political authority and party membership intersect in Nigeria’s multiparty context, especially when federal appointees with roots in opposition parties take on roles within a ruling party’s administration.
