Vice President Shettima warns Wike over APC affairs
By KEMI KASUMU
The Vice President of Nigeria has sent a strong message to the country’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, in response to his (Wike’s) media parleys he held in Rivers State.
VP Shettima seized the response to make a clarification on who a state leader is by virtue of their status, saying that in the All Progressives Congress (APC), the state governors are the leaders of their states, although his principal, since leaving office in 2007, has continued to be leader of the party in Lagos State till today.
Vice President Shettima, who was emphatic in his message to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, stated that Governor Siminalayi Fubara is the leader of the APC in Rivers State.
The Vice President made this disclosure in Enugu State during an event he attended in solidarity with the APC in the state.
He emphasised that he is the Vice President of Nigeria and the second-in-command both in the country and within the All Progressives Congress (APC) but that, in his home state of Borno, the leader of the party is the sitting governor, Professor Babagana Zulum.
Similarly, he said, “although God’swill Akpabio is the Senate President and number three citizen in the nation, Governor Umo Eno remains the leader of the APC in Akwa Ibom State.”
He further cited Kaduna State, where the Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas comes from, saying Governor Uba Sani is the leader of the party, and Enugu State, where Governor Peter Mbah leads the APC structure.
According to the Vice President, this principle applies across all states, including Rivers State.
Wike was been advised to take note of this clarification in order to avoid unnecessary political complications.
As at the time of filing in this report, the FCT minister was yet to respond to the Vice President’s statement.
The vice president’s outburst was coming days after the APC National Secretary Ajibola Basiru asked Wike to resign as FCT Minister and stop destabilising their party kune he did to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
