By Opeyemi Adelakun
The political disagreement between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress has intensified as both sides advance different strategies for the 2027 elections.
Wike, speaking on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout on Monday, dismissed concerns that his proposed Rainbow Coalition could weaken the APC, insisting that its primary objective was to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
The minister argued that politicians could support Tinubu for president while backing candidates of their choice for governorship and legislative elections.
His position contrasts with that of the APC Governors Forum, which has said its members will exclusively support APC candidates at all levels.
The forum, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, recently resolved not to participate in or endorse any political arrangement capable of weakening the APC, affecting its candidates or undermining Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Wike, however, cited the experience of the G5 governors during the 2023 elections as evidence that presidential support could be separated from contests for other offices.
“In 2023, core leadership G5, we said we are going to support Mr President. But we never said that all our candidates in other elections will fail. We never said so,” he said.
He added, “Particularly in Rivers State, we supported Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; he won the presidential election. But in National Assembly election and the state election, PDP won.”
According to Wike, the same pattern could operate in 2027, with members of the coalition campaigning for Tinubu while supporting candidates of their preferred parties in other contests.
He rejected suggestions that such an arrangement would confuse voters, saying Nigerians had previously voted for candidates from different political parties on the same election day.
“Who will be more confused? Is it not my own candidates that will even be more confused when I’ve told them to support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and then again, they now go back to support other candidates?” Wike asked.
The FCT minister also alleged that some APC governors were opposed to the coalition because of their interest in controlling the emergence of the next Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“APC in their ongoing party primaries, the governors, in their own wisdom, believe that they should be able now to put senators or House of Reps members who they will dictate to who will become the next Senate President or the Speaker,” he alleged.
Wike specifically accused Uzodimma, who chairs the Progressive Governors Forum, of positioning himself for the Senate presidency after completing his tenure as Imo governor.
“Mr. President will be inaugurated by May 29. This man’s office will expire by January, February 2028.
“Now, he wants to leave his office to run for Senate. Now, what does that mean? He wants to run for Senate President,” Wike said.
He alleged that Uzodimma was encouraging other governors to influence the emergence of lawmakers who could subsequently support his Senate presidential ambition.
Wike said politicians who lost APC tickets could defect to opposition parties, win their elections and potentially refuse to support candidates preferred by the governors for National Assembly leadership.
“The fear now is that, if they run and they win, it means that they’re not going to support him to be the Senate President,” he said.
Wike then declared his opposition to Uzodimma’s reported ambition.
“Life or death, I will never support a character of Hope Uzodimma to be the Senate President of Nigeria. Everybody knows that,” the minister stated.
The dispute has developed into a broader disagreement over how support for Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid should relate to the interests of the APC and its candidates.
While Wike maintains that the Rainbow Coalition is a cross-party platform for Tinubu, the APC governors have publicly maintained that their political and campaign structures will remain focused on the party and its candidates.
Wike also rejected reports that Tinubu had agreed to concede nine states to the PDP or the Rainbow Coalition.
“The nine states, did they tell you the nine states?” he asked.
He added, “Let us help Nigerians. Let’s get the facts. Who are… which are those states? Tell us. That they said the President agreed with me that he has conceded nine states.”
Wike said his central political objective remained Tinubu’s re-election, adding that he intended to campaign on what he described as the administration’s achievements.
“Mr. President is showing his postcard. We are selling Mr. President what he’s been doing, why he should be re-elected,” he said.
He also said Tinubu was aware of his activities and understood the concept behind the coalition.
“As I speak to you here, Mr. President knows about my concept, of the rainbow coalition…. Mr. President understands me very well,” Wike said.
The disagreement follows the APC Governors Forum’s September 15 declaration that its members would not support political arrangements capable of weakening the party or adversely affecting APC candidates.
Wike has continued to argue that the governors’ opposition is rooted in their political calculations, while the governors have maintained that their position is intended to protect the APC, its candidates and Tinubu’s re-election.
The competing positions have added another layer to the political alignments emerging ahead of the 2027 elections.
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