Political tensions within the ruling All Progressives Congress are reportedly growing as disagreements between Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and some APC governors deepen ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Some party leaders and governors are said to be considering their political options amid concerns over Wike’s continued activities and his support for a cross party political arrangement known as the Rainbow Coalition.
The dispute centres largely on Wike’s position that politicians can support President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term while backing candidates from other political parties in governorship and legislative elections...READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
Wike has maintained that his support for Tinubu does not require him to support APC candidates in other contests. He has continued to promote the Rainbow Coalition, which he says is focused primarily on securing support for Tinubu’s presidential bid.
However, some APC governors have taken a different position. The APC Progressive Governors Forum has declared that its members will support APC candidates across all levels of government and will not participate in any political arrangement that could weaken the party or affect its candidates.
The disagreement has particularly involved Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, whom Wike has accused of working against his political activities.
Uzodimma, who chairs the Progressive Governors Forum, has rejected any arrangement that could undermine APC candidates ahead of the elections.
The growing disagreement has reportedly created concerns among some APC stakeholders, with party figures questioning whether the dispute could affect the party’s efforts ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Some party sources claimed that certain governors and influential APC members were considering alternative political options if the disagreement continued unresolved. However, these claims were made by unnamed sources and do not represent an official decision by the APC.
The party’s National Working Committee is reportedly waiting for President Tinubu to intervene in the dispute before determining its next course of action.
Political analysts have also urged the President to carefully manage the competing interests within his political camp. They argue that both Wike and the APC governors could remain important to the administration’s electoral strategy, making reconciliation a significant political consideration.
Wike, who remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party despite serving as a minister in the APC led Federal Government, has repeatedly defended his decision to support Tinubu while maintaining his political identity within the PDP.
He has pointed to the experience of the G5 governors during the 2023 presidential election, when some PDP governors supported Tinubu for president while also backing candidates from their own party in other elections.
The minister has argued that Nigerian voters are capable of making different choices across presidential, governorship and legislative elections.
The disagreement has therefore evolved beyond a personal clash, touching on the control of party structures, political alliances and preparations for the 2027 elections.
The PDP has also weighed into the dispute, with officials expressing hope that Wike could eventually support its presidential candidate. At the same time, the party has maintained that it remains prepared to contest the 2027 election despite the political realignments surrounding the minister.
For now, the central issue remains whether the competing political interests surrounding Wike, the APC governors and the wider Rainbow Coalition can be managed before the 2027 election season intensifies.
With political calculations already taking shape, the response of President Tinubu and the APC leadership could determine how the disagreement develops in the months ahead.
