The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has rejected calls for the resignation or removal of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, warning that such moves could derail development in the territory.

The forum also kicked against demands on President Bola Tinubu to sack or redeploy Wike, insisting that the minister’s performance has contributed significantly to the ongoing transformation of the FCT.

The National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, had recently called on Wike to resign and focus on politics in Rivers State following a public exchange between the two over the political crisis involving Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara.Some groups, including the Ijaw National Congress (INC), West African Chapter, had also urged President Tinubu to redeploy Wike to the Ministry of the Niger Delta.

Reacting in a statement on Monday, the Chairman of the North-Central APC Forum, Saleh Zazzaga, said Wike should be allowed to continue his work in the FCT, which he described as part of the North-Central geopolitical zone.

The Forum noted that development had accelerated in the territory since Wike assumed office, with key infrastructure projects being executed under his leadership.

According to the group, calls for Wike’s resignation or removal amounted to attempts to undermine the gains recorded by the Tinubu administration in the FCT.

“It is wrong for anybody who is considered as a party leader to be calling for Wike’s resignation on the grounds that he is not a member of the APC,” it said.

“We don’t want to join issues with the persons that are making these calls but we advise them to back off.

“Wike is somebody that has added value to this administration, especially when it comes to infrastructural development in the FCT.

It is offensive and deeply worrisome to us that people who are supposed to be leaders of the party, particularly the national secretary and the national chairman, are antagonizing him by asking him to resign.

“We believe that those making this call, as well as others calling for Wike’s sack, do not mean well for President Bola Tinubu’s administration. They also do not want the development of this country.

“As for us in the North-Central APC Forum, what we are after is the development of our region, and we know that Mr President is only interested in the development of the country, to which Wike is contributing a lot.

“The Forum also disclosed that it had already conveyed its appreciation to Wike over ongoing infrastructure projects in the FCT.It further claimed that Wike played a critical role in the APC’s victory in the 2023 presidential election.”

None of them calling for his resignation contributed as much as Wike to the coming of this administration, even though he is not a member of the party,” it said.

“The national chairman and the national secretary know that they did not contribute as much as Wike to the emergence of the President Bola Tinubu administration. So they should not be saying that he is not a member of the party.”

The North-Central APC Forum urged the FCT minister to ignore the calls for his resignation and remain focused on his assignment in the FCT.