In the middle of Rivers State’s never-ending political soap opera, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has dropped a very clear and fiery warning, aimed straight at the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru.
Speaking to a crowd of supporters during a thank-you visit in Oyigbo (some reports also mention Ogbogu) Local Government Area, Wike didn’t hold back.
He told Basiru in no uncertain terms: “Leave Rivers State alone.”
He added that people should be very careful with the things they say, because nobody should take the state’s support for Bola Tinubu for granted.
Wike went even further, saying something along the lines of: “Carry your hand to Rivers State — if your hand burns, don’t say it’s me that burned it.”
He called the state a “no-go area” for anyone trying to poke their nose in from outside, and promised to pass the message on to Tinubu through the Minister of Blue Economy once the president is back.
This whole back-and-forth started because Basiru had recently spoken up about comments made by APC’s South-South Vice Chairman, Victor Giadom.
During a visit to Gokana late last year, Giadom reportedly called Governor Siminalayi Fubara a “so-called governor” and suggested that anyone wanting anything in Rivers has to go through Wike.
Basiru felt that was out of line and said elected governors deserve respect, no matter what party they belong to.
Wike clearly didn’t like that at all.
He sees it as meddling in Rivers affairs and reminded everyone how hard the state worked to back Tinubu in 2023 when not many others were stepping up.
The response from Basiru’s side came fast and sharp.
In a statement released from Osogbo, the APC National Secretary fired back, calling Wike’s outburst a “tirade” and “uncouth.”
He pointed out that Wike isn’t even a member of the APC, so he has no business jumping into the party’s internal matters.
Basiru went as far as advising Wike to resign from the cabinet if he can’t stop causing confusion in the party while enjoying a position in an APC-led government.
Social media has been buzzing ever since.
Some people are laughing at Wike’s dramatic style, others say he’s feeling the heat because his influence in Rivers might not be as strong as before, especially with Governor Fubara now getting more direct backing from the APC national leadership.
One thing is clear: the tension between Wike’s camp and the APC national structure isn’t going away anytime soon.
With 2027 elections already casting a long shadow, these kinds of public spats show just how messy and personal Nigerian politics can get — especially when big support from a key oil state like Rivers is on the line.
For now, everyone is watching to see if this stays at words or if it turns into something even bigger.
In Rivers, nothing stays quiet for long.
Follow the Parallel Facts channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCQSAoHgZWiDjR3Kn2E
