—FCT Minister insists support for Tinubu doesn’t mean backing APC candidates
Fresh political tension has emerged ahead of the 2027 general elections as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) traded positions over the proposed Rainbow Coalition.
The dispute centres on Wike’s mobilisation of support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election while maintaining that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) can still field candidates against APC candidates in governorship, National Assembly and state Assembly elections.
The APC Governors’ Forum, led by Imo State Governor and its chairman, Hope Uzodimma, said on Monday that its members would not support any political alliance capable of undermining the President’s re-election bid, weakening the APC or affecting the party’s candidates.
Uzodimma said the governors’ campaign commitment remained focused on APC candidates at all levels.
“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 had no intention of supporting candidates outside the APC structure in the 2027 elections.
Wike fires back
Reacting through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike reaffirmed his support for Tinubu but said he had never promised that the PDP would withdraw from other electoral contests.
The minister maintained that the Rainbow Coalition was not an APC structure but a platform for political parties and individuals supporting Tinubu’s re-election.
He argued that supporting a presidential candidate did not prevent political parties from presenting candidates for other elective positions.
“What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the re-election of the President. I never promised anyone that PDP will not field candidates to contest governorship, National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly elections,” Wike said.
He also urged political actors to separate the presidential contest from their individual state political battles.
“Politics is local and those having problems in their states should resolve them instead of using the re-election of the President to whip up sentiments,” he said.
Wike further cited the 2023 elections in states including Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi, where voters supported different parties in presidential and National Assembly contests, arguing that voters could make separate choices at different levels.
‘I’m not answerable to APC governors’
Speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time, Wike dismissed the concerns raised by the APC governors and said his support for Tinubu was separate from his activities within 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 said President Tinubu was aware of his political activities and the Rainbow Coalition, while stressing that he was not answerable to APC governors.
Wike described the governors as “politically lazy” over their interpretation of his activities and argued that their state-level political challenges should not be attributed to the President.
PDP backs Wike
The Wike-backed faction of the PDP also defended the minister, with its Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, saying Wike’s support for Tinubu should not be interpreted as support for the APC.
Mohammed maintained that Wike remained a PDP member with the right to support any presidential candidate of his choice.
He also insisted that the PDP would participate in the 2027 elections and field candidates against APC candidates where applicable.
A separate PDP faction led by Tanimu Turaki also criticised the arrangement involving Wike and the APC-led Federal Government.
Rival political interests
The growing disagreement has also generated speculation among political actors about the broader interests of key figures ahead of 2027 and beyond.
Some APC leaders, speaking anonymously, attributed the dispute to competition for political influence and positioning ahead of future elections, including the 2031 presidential contest. Those claims remain the views of the unnamed sources and were not independently established.
The sources also pointed to disagreements in states where politicians aligned with Wike’s PDP faction could challenge sitting APC governors or their preferred candidates.
For now, the central disagreement remains clear: APC governors say their loyalty in the 2027 elections is to the party’s candidates, while Wike maintains that he can support Tinubu for president while the PDP and other parties contest other positions.
The development adds another layer to the evolving political alignments ahead of the 2027 elections.
