The political war in Rivers State has taken a sharp national turn as FCT Minister Nyesom Wike sent a blistering warning to the APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, telling him to “steer clear” of Rivers State affairs.
Wike, currently on a high-stakes “Thank You” tour across the state’s 23 local government areas, issued the warning today, Monday, 5 January 2026, during a massive rally in Ahoada West. His remarks were a direct response to Basiru’s recent defence of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, which Wike’s camp views as an unwelcome intrusion into their local “political architecture.”
The friction ignited after Senator Basiru publicly condemned comments made by APC South-South National Vice Chairman, Victor Giadom, who had referred to Fubara as a “so-called governor.”1 Basiru insisted that even if a governor is not a “member” of the party’s core inner circle, the office must be respected.
Wike made it clear that he would not take directives from the APC National Working Committee (NWC) regarding the state. “I heard people saying they will call me and give me instructions. Let me tell you, nobody will call me… as far as Rivers State is concerned, there is nothing like instruction,” he declared.
He reiterated that he considers Fubara a “political mistake” and vowed that he would not allow the Governor to secure a re-election ticket in 2027, regardless of Fubara’s recent move to register with the APC as “Member 001.”
Wike insisted that party leadership in Rivers is determined by the “grassroots” and not by occupying the Governor’s lodge.
The battle for the soul of the Rivers APC has reached a fever pitch following Governor Fubara’s formal defection.
Wike also used the Ahoada West rally to mock Fubara’s recent “barking dog” metaphors. “That same dog barked and made you governor,” Wike told the crowd. “This dog that is barking now was barking when people didn’t even know who you were.”
Adding weight to Wike’s stance, the APC Chairman in Ahoada West, Rejoice Otobo, told the Minister during the visit that the party in the local government would only take instructions from him (Wike) ahead of 2027. This public pledge of loyalty by an APC official to a PDP-card-carrying Minister further blurs the lines of party politics in the state.
