Rivers: You can’t cry foul now, PDP blasts APC over Wike

….My support for Tinubu total, says Wike amid rift with APC nat’l scribe

…Wike-led PDP faction gives APC scribe 48 hours to apologise

By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA—THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said yesterday the All Progressives Congress, APC, had no right to complain about the conduct of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, insisting that the ruling party must manage the political consequences of its own actions in Rivers State.

Recall that the National Secretary of APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, had on Monday flayed the minister for interfering in the party’s affairs, despite not being a member, in apparent response to Wike’s entreaty on him to stop interfering in the affairs of Rivers’ politics.

PDP’s declaration came on a day the FCT minister declared total support for President Bola Tinubu in the face of his confrontation with Senator Basiru.

The party said Wike was no longer its member and accused the APC of knowingly engaging him for political advantage, only to raise objections now that the relationship had become problematic.

National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Ini Ememobong, who made the declaration while reacting to a public exchange between Wike and the APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, over political developments in Rivers State, said: “The National Secretary of the APC may genuinely not know who is or is not a member of the PDP, and may, therefore, be relying on outdated information suggesting that Wike was a PDP member.

“Wike was expelled from the PD with his supporters and that is why we sympathise with the problem the APC has brought upon itself by engaging Wike; someone they now lack the moral or legal standing to disown.

“The law does not allow you to benefit from a wrong you created nor can you complain of a voluntary injury. You cannot complain about an act you willingly undertook. So they should manage the situation they have created. After all, what was once seen as an asset has now become a liability and they must deal with it.”

He rejected attempts to draw the PDP into the controversy, noting that the conduct now being criticised was previously applauded when it appeared to serve the APC’s interests.

“As for his (Basiru’s) comments, he should not drag the PDP into this. It is the same conduct he is now complaining about. When he was engaging in this conduct in a way that favoured the APC, they were jubilating and laughing. This same national secretary did not complain, even once.

“I have looked closely at his (Basiru’s) so-called activist credentials. We must be able to look at issues beyond partisan lines. When something is wrong, it is wrong. As a citizen, and as the national publicity secretary of the PDP, if someone engages in anti-party activity or aligns with another party, I will call that person out.

‘’I will say clearly: this does not look good. Either leave that party and join us, or remain independent and support us openly.”

Ememobong maintained that APC alone enjoyed whatever political gains that arose from Wike’s actions and must, therefore, deal with the fallout.

My support for Tinubu total, says Wike

Meanwhile, the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, has, in the face of his confrontation with the APC national secretary, declared “total support” for President Bola Tinubu.

In a post on X  yesterday, Wike, who had been touring Rivers State LGAs, said his next stops (today) were  Akuku-Toru and Degema, adding that both communities were fully in support of Tinubu.

He said: “Yesterday (Monday), we were in Oyigbo and Ogu-Bolo LGAs. Today (yesterday), we will be in Akuku-Toru and Degema LGAs. Here, it is local politics and our support for Mr President is total.”

Wike-led PDP faction gives APC scribe 48 hours to apologise

Meanwhile, the PDP faction loyal to Wike, yesterday, asked Basiru to apologise to the FCT minister within 48 hours.

The faction, in a statement by its zonal publicity secretary (South-South), Etim Isong, condemned Basiru’s “personal attack” on Wike.

The group said Basiru’s remarks were inappropriate and capable of undermining the administration of President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.

The statement said it was perplexing that the APC scribe, who “failed to produce a governor for the APC” in Osun State in 2023, would seek to question the political relevance of Wike in Rivers State.

The faction said Basiru’s suggestion that Wike’s support for Tinubu was no different from that of other non-APC supporters showed “amateurish political judgment.”

Isong said: “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.

“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.

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

It warned that failure to apologise could result in Basiru being declared persona non grata in Rivers State.

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