Fresh tensions have emerged between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and APC governors over the Rainbow Coalition, with both sides taking different positions on political alliances ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wike, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while serving in the APC-led Federal Government, has continued to promote the Rainbow Coalition as a platform to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
However, the APC Progressive Governors’ Forum, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, said the party’s governors would not support any alliance capable of undermining APC candidates at various levels.
The disagreement has brought renewed attention to the political relationship between Wike and some APC governors as preparations for the 2027 elections intensify.
APC Governors Reject Alliances Against Party Candidates
Uzodimma, who is chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, made the position known after a meeting of APC governors in Abuja on Monday night.
He said the governors’ campaign commitment remained focused on official APC candidates at all levels.
According to the communique he read, the governors would not participate in or endorse any political arrangement capable of undermining Tinubu’s re-election, weakening the APC or affecting the party’s candidates.
The forum maintained that its campaign structure would align with the President’s re-election effort and the strategic objectives of the APC.
Wike Defends Rainbow Coalition
Wike, however, rejected the argument that his support for Tinubu should extend to APC candidates contesting governorship, National Assembly and state assembly elections.
Through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the minister said the Rainbow Coalition was not affiliated with the APC.
He described it as a platform through which politicians from different parties could mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election and his administration’s achievements.
Wike maintained that he never promised to prevent the PDP from fielding candidates in the 2027 elections.
He also argued that supporting a presidential candidate does not prevent political parties from contesting other elective positions.
Wike Says Presidential Support Is Separate From PDP Politics
Speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme on Tuesday night, Wike reiterated his support for Tinubu while insisting that he had not abandoned his political activities within the PDP.
He criticised the concerns raised by some APC governors and said political issues in individual states should not be linked to his support for the President.
Wike also cited the political outcomes of the 2023 elections in states including Imo, Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu, where voters supported different parties across presidential and National Assembly contests.
The minister urged political stakeholders to prioritise the presidential election before turning their attention to state-level contests.
Political Rivalry Extends To 2031 Ambitions
Some APC leaders who spoke on condition of anonymity attributed the growing disagreement to broader political interests, including possible positioning for the 2031 presidential and vice-presidential contests and control of the next National Assembly.
The sources alleged that Wike, Uzodimma and other political actors were seeking to expand their influence ahead of future political contests.
They also pointed to disagreements involving political structures in states including Rivers, Imo and Kwara as part of the wider rivalry.
However, these claims were attributed to the unnamed APC sources and were not independently confirmed in the report.
One source argued that the rivalry could become a challenge for the APC if the disagreements persist into the 2027 campaign period.
PDP Defends Wike’s Support For Tinubu
The Wike-backed faction of the PDP defended the minister’s position, maintaining that his support was specifically for Tinubu rather than the APC as a political party.
PDP National Publicity Secretary Jungudo Mohammed said Wike remained free to support Tinubu while the PDP continued to field candidates against APC candidates in other elections.
Mohammed also rejected suggestions that Wike’s support for Tinubu amounted to support for APC candidates across the states.
He urged APC governors to concentrate on governance and their respective political constituencies rather than focusing on Wike.
Turaki-Led PDP Faction Criticises Wike Arrangement
The PDP Interim National Working Committee led by Tanimu Turaki also criticised the political arrangement involving Wike and the APC-led Federal Government.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, argued that allowing Wike to serve in an APC-led administration while remaining a PDP member had created the current political complications.
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He also criticised the Rainbow Coalition, arguing that political parties should operate through established structures and ideologies.
Ememobong said the arrangement could have implications for the opposition party and the wider political system.
APC And Presidency Yet To Respond
Efforts by the correspondent to obtain comments from APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, his deputy Duro Meseko and the Presidency were unsuccessful at the time of filing the report.
The disagreement between Wike and the APC governors remains centred on the extent to which support for Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid should translate into support for APC candidates in other elections.