The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has openly dismissed claims by Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State that he is the “001” member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Speaking during his end-of-year media parley in Port Harcourt, Wike described Fubara’s assertion as misleading and urged Nigerians to view party leadership with clarity.
“Let me tell you, there’s nothing like 001 in the state. You register in your ward and local government. So if you are 001, it’s in your ward,” Wike said. He further clarified that being first to register in the party does not automatically confer any leadership status.
On Fubara’s self-proclaimed position as APC leader in Rivers, Wike questioned the basis of such claims. “Leadership is not because I’m a governor. Leadership is not because I’m a minister. You must have something that makes you a leader,” he asserted, highlighting the lack of a formal structure that supports Fubara’s statement.
The Rivers governor had adopted the title “001” following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, a move that sparked political debate within the state.
