2027: Wike draws fresh battle lines with APC govs

The political disagreement between Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress has taken a fresh turn as the two sides remain divided over the proposed Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections. Wike, who remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party while serving in President Bola Tinubu’s administration, has maintained that his political priority is to secure Tinubu’s re-election. However, he insists that supporting the President does not mean abandoning opposition candidates in governorship and legislative elections. Speaking on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout on Monday, Wike rejected concerns from APC governors that the coalition could weaken the ruling party. He argued that politicians could support Tinubu at the presidential level while backing candidates of their choice in other elections. Wike referred to the experience of the G5 governors during the 2023 elections, when members of the group supported Tinubu for President while candidates of their respective parties contested and won other positions. According to him, the same pattern could be repeated in 2027, with the Rainbow Coalition mobilising support for Tinubu without preventing the PDP or other parties from presenting candidates for state and legislative positions. The minister also alleged that the opposition of some APC governors to his political activities was connected to their interest in determining who would emerge as the next presiding officers of the National Assembly. Wike specifically mentioned Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma, alleging that he was interested in becoming Senate President after leaving office. He said he would not support Uzodimma for the position, adding that the dispute should not be viewed simply as a personal disagreement between the two politicians. APC governors reject Wike's arrangement The APC governors have taken a different position, insisting that their loyalty remains with the party and its candidates. At a meeting in Abuja on September 15, the Progressive Governors Forum, led by Uzodimma, said its members would not support any alliance that could weaken the APC, affect its candidates or undermine Tinubu’s re-election campaign. The governors stated that their campaign structure would be focused exclusively on APC candidates across the various levels of the 2027 elections. That position has become the central point of disagreement with Wike, who argues that presidential and sub-national elections should not necessarily be treated as one political contest. The minister has also accused some governors, particularly Uzodimma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, of opposing the Rainbow Coalition because of its potential to provide alternative platforms for politicians challenging APC candidates in their states. The governors have maintained that their concerns are about protecting the party and its candidates. Wike expands his political network The dispute has also coincided with reports of APC politicians and former party leaders moving towards Wike's political platform. According to a recent Sunday PUNCH report, aggrieved APC figures from several states have either joined the PDP or expressed support for the Rainbow Coalition after disagreements with the ruling party's internal processes. The report identified political figures from states including Kwara, Osun, Gombe, Cross River, Katsina, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ogun, Jigawa and Ondo among those associated with the emerging movement. Some of the affected politicians reportedly lost out during APC nomination processes or had disagreements with party leaders in their respective states. The development has added another dimension to the disagreement because Wike's coalition could provide an alternative political platform for politicians who remain interested in supporting Tinubu but are unable or unwilling to secure APC tickets. Tinubu's position becomes important The dispute has also raised questions about how President Tinubu will manage the competing interests within his political camp. Earlier reports by PUNCH indicated that there had been expectations that Tinubu could intervene in the disagreement between Wike and the APC governors. However, Wike said Tinubu was already aware of the Rainbow Coalition and understood his political activities. He maintained that the President did not need to summon the coalition and APC governors for a political truce. Wike also rejected reports that Tinubu had agreed to concede nine states to the PDP or the Rainbow Coalition as part of a political arrangement ahead of the election, challenging those making the claim to identify the states involved. Meanwhile, PUNCH reported that sources within the APC said the party's National Working Committee was working behind the scenes towards resolving the disagreement. The proposed discussions were expected to involve the party leadership and the President. More political tension ahead The disagreement has now moved beyond the question of whether Wike's Rainbow Coalition supports Tinubu. At the centre of the dispute is how politicians aligned with the President should approach governorship, National Assembly and state assembly elections. Wike maintains that supporting Tinubu does not require politicians to support every APC candidate. The APC governors, on the other hand, have said their members will campaign for candidates officially nominated by the party. With the 2027 elections approaching, the competing positions have created a new political fault line involving Wike, the APC governors and politicians seeking alternative platforms while maintaining support for Tinubu. For now, Wike says the Rainbow Coalition will continue its mobilisation for the President, while the APC governors remain committed to defending the party's candidates across the country.