APC Engaging Wike To Resolve Rivers Crisis — National Secretary

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has confirmed that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, was being actively engaged by the party in efforts to resolve the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State.

The party’s National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, disclosed this on Thursday during an appearance on TVC’s ‘Beyond The Headlines’ show, noting that despite Wike not being a registered member of the APC, his influence and alignment with President Bola Tinubu make his involvement crucial.

“Of course, as you know, Wike is an avowed supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, even though not a member of the political party,” Basiru said. “So, as somebody who is interested in the success of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Rivers State is critical to that success, and of course, definitely he will be engaged, and he’s been engaged on an amicable resolution in the state as expected.”

Basiru explained that the party was pursuing quiet consultations to restore stability to the state, emphasising that not all actions being taken would be made public.

“Quiet consultations are ongoing to address the situation,” he added. “Not every measure being taken will be made public through the media.”

He assured that the Rivers crisis would be settled amicably “without winners or losers,” and hinted that further details would be made public in the coming days.

LEADERSHIP reports that the Rivers political crisis deepened after Governor Siminalayi Fubara officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling APC on December 9, 2025. The defection followed months of tension between Fubara and Wike, a former Rivers State governor, over control of the state’s political structure.

Fubara’s switch, which many analysts saw as a major realignment ahead of the 2027 general election, came after several members of the Rivers State House of Assembly had already joined the APC.

In response, Wike publicly criticised Fubara, accusing him of violating previous agreements and questioning his political future.

The FCT Minister argued that Fubara lacked genuine support within the APC, claiming the governor was “being misadvised” and had slim chances of securing a second term in 2027 elections.

Despite the governor’s defection, tensions persisted within the APC-controlled House of Assembly, which on January 8 initiated impeachment proceedings against Fubara, a move widely believed to have been influenced by Wike’s loyalists. The impeachment process, however, has been stalled by ongoing court cases.

Addressing claims that the APC was dominated by political elites, Basiru dismissed the notion, insisting that the ruling party remains a “mass-based organization.”

“The APC is a very serious political party. We are a mass-based organization, and going by the figures from our mass-based e-registration system, we are sure that APC is the party to beat in all elections,” he said.

“We are loved by the Nigerian people, and they are trooping out to join the APC. We have made tremendous progress in the registration of new members that we have embarked upon. We are very comfortable that we are not an elite organization.”

Basiru added that the APC remained focused on strengthening its grassroots structures and mobilising Nigerians under its socio-democratic ideals.

“Our tradition is socio-democratic, pro-people, and we are working to strengthen our party. We are mobilizing, conscientizing, and showing Nigerians why the pan-Nigerian political party, the APC, is the party to be in,” he said.

“We are resilient and persistent in ensuring that we pass our message and get people to join our political party. As I speak now, the mass of Nigerian people are joining our party in large numbers.”