A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Farouk Aliyu, has said the ruling party will not tolerate actions by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, that could create division within its ranks.
Farouk stated this during an appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Thursday.
Wike, who remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, while serving in the APC led Federal Government, has recently criticised some APC governors, describing them as “lazy” and “419ners.”
The FCT minister has also been promoting a Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State in support of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re election bid.
Reacting to Wike’s comments, Farouk said the APC would not tolerate such conduct simply because the minister had previously engaged in disagreements with the PDP.
“Well, you see, I am not personally attacking Wike as a person, no.
“When Wike was doing that to his party, PDP, that’s his party really, but now this is our own party.
“So just because he did it to his party, you think we should condone doing it to our party? No, we will not condone it. Certainly, we will not.
“Whoever thinks that because Wike did that to his party, then we should allow him to do it to our party, we, as a party, shall not allow these kind of things to happen,” he said.
Farouk said he expected President Tinubu to intervene in the disagreement and engage Wike as well as other APC leaders to resolve the matter.
He also dismissed suggestions that APC members were opposed to Wike’s appointment as FCT minister, saying he believed the minister had performed well in office.
“And Mr. President is going to come back. Mr. President will have to certainly decide. I’m sure he will speak to Wike. He will speak to also our leaders. That look, we don’t need these things in public,” he said.
Farouk added that he was not aware of any opposition to Wike’s appointment as minister and praised his performance in the FCT.
“We are happy with him being a minister because I don’t think in this country there has ever been a minister of FCT that has done what Wike has done or is doing,” he stated.
He said political rivalry was normal and maintained that he and others were not opposed to Wike because of his appointment.
“It is true Wike also helped us to bring Rivers and also FCT at the last election,” he added.
The comments come amid growing disagreements between Wike and some APC leaders over political arrangements ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Chairman of the APC Progressive Governors Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, had earlier said APC governors would not support any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining Tinubu’s 2027 campaign or weakening the ruling party.
