APC-Wike Dispute Deepens as 2027 Campaign Calculations Intensify

The political relationship between Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and some All Progressives Congress governors has come under renewed strain, with the dispute over his Rainbow Coalition increasingly becoming an issue for the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections. Wike, a prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party who currently serves in President Bola Tinubu's APC-led administration, has openly backed Tinubu's bid for a second term. However, his position that the coalition can support Tinubu for president while backing candidates from other parties in state and legislative contests has put him at odds with APC governors who say the party's campaign structure must support its own candidates. The disagreement has now prompted calls for intervention, while reports citing unnamed APC sources indicate that some party stakeholders are becoming concerned about the potential political consequences of the dispute. Wike defends Rainbow Coalition The immediate disagreement centres on the Rainbow Coalition, a multi-party political arrangement being promoted by Wike in support of Tinubu's presidential campaign. Wike has argued that supporting Tinubu at the presidential level does not require him or members of the coalition to support APC candidates in every other contest. He has maintained that politicians within the arrangement remain free to support candidates of their choice. That position differs from the stance publicly adopted by APC governors. At a meeting of the Progressive Governors Forum last week, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who chairs the forum, said APC governors would not participate in or endorse an alliance capable of weakening the party or affecting its candidates. Uzodimma said the governors' campaign commitment would remain focused on APC candidates across the various levels of government. Three governors named by Wike The disagreement became more personal after Wike publicly identified Uzodimma, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun as governors he said were opposed to the Rainbow Coalition. Speaking during an appearance on TVC's Journalists' Hangout on September 21, Wike attributed their opposition to their own political interests and disputes surrounding candidates for legislative positions. He argued that some politicians who failed to secure APC tickets had moved to the PDP, which is supporting Tinubu at the presidential level but remains an opposition party in other contests. Those assertions represent Wike's account of the dispute and have not been independently established as the reason for the governors' position. Premium Times also reported Wike's claim that the governors' concerns were connected to the future leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives. APC leaders await Tinubu's position Against this background, reports from PUNCH and Legit.ng say some APC stakeholders want President Tinubu to intervene. Sources cited by both publications, speaking anonymously, alleged that some governors and party figures were considering alternative political options if the disagreement continued. However, there has been no public confirmation from the governors identified in the reports that they have decided to support another presidential candidate. The reports therefore establish concern within some sections of the party rather than a confirmed defection from Tinubu's camp. The APC National Working Committee has also reportedly held back from taking a decisive position. A senior party source told PUNCH that the national leadership was waiting for Tinubu's direction before determining its next step. Legit.ng separately reported that attempts to obtain a response from APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka were unsuccessful. The reluctance of the party leadership to act independently has been linked by a source to previous attempts to intervene in the political dispute involving Wike in Rivers State. Analysts call for reconciliation Political analysts quoted by the reports have focused less on taking sides in the dispute and more on the challenge of managing the different political interests supporting Tinubu. Former APC Organising Secretary Eze Duru said the president's political structure has included individuals from outside the APC, including politicians from the PDP, Labour Party and other parties. Former President of the Nigerian Political Science Association, Professor Hassan Saliu, similarly argued that Tinubu would need to manage his relationships with both Wike and the governors. Saliu noted that politicians who feel excluded by their parties can seek alternative platforms, making internal disagreements potentially consequential during an election cycle. The disagreement comes as Tinubu's campaign machinery is already being assembled. In August, the State House announced the composition of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, with Tinubu as chairman and Uzodimma as secretary. The council was directed to prepare for the 2027 presidential campaign. Tinubu had also emerged as the APC's presidential candidate after the party's May 2026 primary, according to the State House. For now, the central question is whether the competing political structures around Wike and the APC governors can be managed without creating further divisions within the ruling party. The available reports show growing disagreement and calls for presidential intervention. They do not, however, establish that any named APC governor has formally withdrawn support for Tinubu or committed to another presidential candidate.