APC Chieftain Backs Basiru, Says Non-Members Must Not Interfere in Rivers APC Affairs

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Darlington Nwauju, has thrown his weight behind the party’s National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, insisting that non-members have no right to meddle in the internal affairs of the APC.

According to him, Basiru, whom he described as being well-placed to speak authoritatively on party matters, had clearly stated that individuals who are not members of the APC should not dictate how the party is run in Rivers State.

“Today, I am glad that our stance has been justified by the clear statement of our National Secretary that persons who are non-members of our political party have no business dictating to us how the party should be run in Rivers State,” Nwauju said.

He added that his group fully aligns with Basiru’s position, describing it as the appropriate and constitutionally sound stance for the party at both state and national levels.

Nwauju further argued that with the APC now having a sitting governor in Rivers State, established party convention dictates that the governor automatically becomes the leader of the party in the state.

“APC now has a sitting governor in our midst, and by the force of our convention and long-standing practice, the governor automatically becomes the leader of the party in Rivers State,” he said.

He maintained that it would be improper for a non-APC member to attempt to influence how the party relates with its governor or manages its internal affairs, warning that such interference undermines party cohesion and internal discipline.

Nwauju expressed confidence that the APC National Working Committee would ultimately adopt Basiru’s position as the party’s official stance on Rivers State.

His comments followed Basiru’s recent remark that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has no right to interfere in APC affairs in Rivers State, noting that the former Rivers governor is not a member of the ruling party and therefore lacks the standing to do so.

Wike, however, has cautioned the APC National Secretary to stay out of Rivers State politics.

Governor Siminalayi Fubara defected to the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last year, weeks after the expiration of his suspension as Rivers State governor. His relationship with Wike, who supported his emergence as governor but remains in the PDP while serving in President Bola Tinubu’s administration, has since deteriorated.