EMMANUEL NLEWEDUM, Port Harcourt
A group, Rivers Restoration Movement (RRM), has cautioned the National Secretary of the APC, Ajibola Basiru, over what it described as careless and inflammatory comments against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
RRM, in a statement in Port Harcourt, jointly signed by its Director-General, Hon. Johnson Georgewill, and Secretary, Mrs. Sarima Akpata, said Basiru’s remarks, allegedly calling on Wike to resign and accusing him of undue interference in Rivers State politics, were not in the best interest of President Tinubu’s second-term bid in Rivers State.
The group warned that such comments could undermine President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s prospects in the state ahead of the 2027 general election.
RRM, which collaborated with over 40 affiliate groups to support the 2023 power shift to the Ijaw axis that led to Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s emergence, said it would normally have ignored the statements.
However, it stressed that the strategic importance of Rivers State to national electoral outcomes compelled a response.
The group emphasized that Rivers State remains a key battleground in Nigeria’s political landscape, and actions or statements that threaten political stability could have broader consequences for the ruling party and the President.
RRM posed several questions to the APC National Secretary, including whether he was present during meetings where agreements were reached between Governor Fubara and the State House of Assembly, and whether he was aware of commitments by the Governor to uphold those agreements in the interest of peace and good governance.
The statement also questioned whether Basiru recognized the political sacrifices and efforts by the FCT Minister that contributed to President Tinubu’s victory in Rivers State and supported the spread of votes in other states during the 2023 presidential election.
RRM however, urged the APC national leadership to “call the National Secretary to order,” warning that internal conflicts and public disputes could be counterproductive.
The group appealed to the FCT Minister to disregard political actors without significant electoral influence and to focus on building a broad coalition to secure Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
RRM added that the coalition should also aim to produce a new governor for Rivers State who embodies “honesty, truth, gratitude, and teamwork.”
It further suggested that in the spirit of equity, fairness, and justice, the state’s leadership should consider a “grateful Rivers Ijaw son” as Governor Fubara’s successor.
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