Wike, APC Governors Clash Over 2027 Political Strategy

A fresh disagreement has emerged between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress over the political structure being developed ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The dispute centres on Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, which he says is designed to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election while allowing the Peoples Democratic Party and other opposition politicians to contest governorship and legislative positions in their respective states.

The APC governors, however, have drawn a line between supporting Tinubu and supporting candidates outside the ruling party. At a meeting chaired by Imo State Governor and Progressive Governors’ Forum Chairman, Hope Uzodimma, the governors said they would back APC candidates at all levels.

Uzodimma said the governors would not participate in or support any alliance capable of weakening the APC, creating divided loyalty or working against the party’s candidates. The position effectively places the governors at odds with Wike’s approach to the 2027 elections.

Wike has insisted that there is no contradiction in supporting Tinubu for president while backing candidates from other parties in state and legislative elections. Through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, he maintained that he never promised to stop the PDP from fielding candidates outside the presidential contest.

The minister argued that Nigerian voters had already demonstrated that they could vote differently for different positions during the same election. He referred to the 2023 elections in states including Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi, where voters supported different parties at presidential and legislative levels.

Wike also rejected the suggestion that his political activities were intended to undermine Tinubu. He said the Rainbow Coalition was not an APC structure but a platform involving politicians and groups that support the President while maintaining their own interests in other electoral contests.

The disagreement has also become connected to Wike’s wider political relationship with some APC governors. The FCT minister recently alleged that Uzodimma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq were involved in political moves against him in Rivers State and elsewhere.

The APC governors have not accepted that approach, insisting that their campaign structure must remain aligned with the party and its candidates. Their position means that the emerging coalition politics could produce different alliances for the presidential, governorship and legislative races in 2027.

Meanwhile, factions within the PDP have also reacted to the disagreement. The Tanimu Turaki-led interim National Working Committee criticised the situation, while the Wike-backed PDP defended the minister and maintained that the party would continue preparing candidates for the 2027 elections.

With the 2027 elections approaching, the disagreement illustrates the different political arrangements being considered around the presidential race and contests at state and legislative levels. Wike continues to separate his support for Tinubu from his position on other races, while the APC governors have publicly committed themselves to APC candidates across the ballot.

About The Author