Tension has erupted within the national working committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following a public exchange between two senior party officials over comments made against Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers State.
Senator Ajibola Basiru, the APC national secretary, on Sunday faulted remarks by Victor Giadom, the party’s south-south national vice chairman, who recently referred to Fubara as a “so-called governor of Rivers State.”
Giadom made the remark during a thank-you visit by Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State last week.
Reacting via his verified Facebook page, Basiru described Giadom’s comments as “unbecoming” of a senior party official and “disrespectful” to an elected governor.
“I find it unfortunate that a member of the NWC, who is the Vice Chairman of the South-South zone of the APC, was referring to a governor in our party as a ‘so-called governor of Rivers State’,” Basiru said.
He added, “No matter what his allegiances are to anybody, it is unbecoming of somebody holding such a sensitive position, and it should not be encouraged by anybody.”
Basiru stressed that political disagreements should not translate into disrespect for elected offices, noting that the office of governor deserves recognition regardless of party affiliation.
“Even if the governor is not in our party, you can’t refer to an elected governor as a ‘so-called governor’ in order to please anybody,” he said. “The office of the governor is an exalted position, and whoever is occupying it must be respected, irrespective of whatever political differences you have or whatever animosity exists between them.”
The comments followed Giadom’s assertion during Wike’s visit that Governor Fubara would need the backing of the former Rivers governor to achieve political success in the state.
Describing Wike as a “dependable leader,” Giadom declared Gokana Local Government Area a stronghold of the FCT minister.
“I guarantee, on behalf of my brothers, that the Gokana people are for Wike and Tinubu and nobody will challenge Wike’s influence in Gokana,” Giadom said. “Gokana is a ‘no-go area’ for anybody, even Governor Fubara. For him to win anything in Gokana, he must pass through Wike.”
Several APC leaders at the event echoed Giadom’s position, pledging loyalty to Wike and President Bola Tinubu.
In his response, Wike thanked the people of Gokana for their support and urged them to remain united.
He also reiterated that APC and PDP members in Rivers State were working together in support of President Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’.