Tensions between Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and some governors of the All Progressives Congress have intensified over political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The disagreement centres on Wike’s reported efforts to build a Rainbow Coalition of politicians and groups backing President Bola Tinubu’s re-election while remaining free to support candidates from other parties in state and legislative elections.
The development has exposed differences between Wike and APC governors, who have said their campaign efforts will focus exclusively on candidates sponsored by the ruling party.
Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodimma, made the position known after the governors’ meeting in Abuja on Monday night.
Uzodimma said the governors would not support any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining Tinubu’s re-election, weakening the APC or affecting the party’s candidates at any level.
“The APC Governors Forum unanimously resolved that its members will not participate in, support or endorse any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining the re-election of Mr President, weakening the APC or adversely affecting any candidate of the party at all levels,” he said.
He added that the governors’ campaign commitment was exclusively to APC candidates and that the party’s campaign structure would align with Tinubu’s re-election bid and the objectives of the APC.
Wike, however, has rejected the suggestion that his support for Tinubu requires him to support APC candidates in other 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 but was intended to mobilise support across political parties for Tinubu’s re-election.
Wike said he had never promised that the Peoples Democratic Party would refrain from fielding candidates for governorship, National Assembly and state assembly elections.
“What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the reelection of the President. I never promised anyone that PDP will not field candidates to contest governorship, National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly elections,” he said.
He argued that supporting a presidential candidate did not prevent voters or political parties from making different choices in other elections.
Wike cited the results of the 2023 elections in Imo, Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu states, where, according to him, some voters supported APC candidates in legislative elections while backing another party in the presidential poll.
He asked whether such voting patterns should be regarded as confusion, arguing that voters could similarly support Tinubu for president while choosing candidates from other parties at state and legislative levels in 2027.
The minister also urged politicians to prioritise the presidential election before turning their attention to contests in their respective states.
In an interview with Arise TV’s Prime Time on Tuesday night, Wike dismissed the concerns expressed by the APC governors and accused them of using Tinubu’s re-election as a justification for their local political disputes.
“They are politically lazy. When you have your local problems, don’t use Mr President as your excuse,” he said.
Wike maintained that his support for Tinubu was separate from his continued membership of the PDP.
“I have said I will support the President and I am still supporting him. What has that got to do with my party?” he asked.
He also cited the political positions of Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and Abia State Governor Alex Otti to argue that supporting a presidential candidate did not prevent political parties from fielding candidates for other elective positions.
“Take Soludo, Adeleke and Otti. Does it mean that their parties will not present other candidates? This thing they are saying does not have any basis,” Wike said.
The disagreement comes amid wider political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections, with politicians and parties positioning themselves for contests at presidential, governorship and legislative levels.
Wike has also alleged that Uzodimma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq were involved in political moves against him in Rivers State and elsewhere.
The minister has linked some of the tensions to the growing influence of the Rainbow Coalition and its reported support for candidates seeking to challenge APC politicians in various states.
The APC governors, however, have maintained that their priority is to protect the party’s candidates and support Tinubu’s re-election.
The competing positions have highlighted the political complexities surrounding alliances ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly where support for a presidential candidate cuts across party lines.
