2027 ELECTIONS: APC LEADERS WEIGH OPTIONS AS WIKE-GOVS RIFT DEEPENS

Tensions between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and some governors of the All Progressives Congress have continued to generate concern within the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Some APC leaders and governors are reportedly considering their political options amid disagreements over Wike’s activities and his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid through the Rainbow Coalition.

The Progressive Governors Forum, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, has said APC governors will not support any political arrangement that could weaken the party or affect its candidates in the 2027 elections.

Uzodimma said the governors remained committed to supporting Tinubu and APC candidates at all levels.

Wike, however, has maintained that the Rainbow Coalition is primarily intended to mobilise support for Tinubu’s presidential bid and does not prevent politicians from supporting candidates of other parties in governorship and legislative elections.

He has also said the coalition has no affiliation with the APC.

The disagreement has intensified following Wike’s public criticism of some APC governors. In recent comments, he alleged that Uzodimma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq were involved in political opposition to his activities.

Wike has linked the opposition to the Rainbow Coalition, which he says provides a platform for politicians who may contest against APC candidates in state and legislative elections.

Some APC leaders who spoke to Punch on condition of anonymity said the continued dispute was creating unease among party stakeholders, with some reportedly looking at alternative political options.

One source said governors, particularly those in Ogun, Kwara and Imo, were unhappy with Wike’s comments and political activities.

The source also said some party leaders were waiting for President Tinubu to intervene and help resolve the disagreement before it becomes more difficult to manage.

Another source described Wike’s activities as a concern for some APC stakeholders, arguing that continued attacks on governors could affect cooperation within the party ahead of the election.

The Peoples Democratic Party National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, meanwhile urged Wike to support the party’s presidential candidate, Senator Sandy Onor.

Mohammed said the PDP would welcome Wike’s support but acknowledged his right to make his own political decision.

He argued that the concerns being expressed by APC governors about Wike’s activities showed that the issue had become significant within the ruling party.

The Publicity Secretary of the Tanimu Turaki-led PDP Interim National Working Committee, Ini Ememobong, also criticised the political realignments involving Wike and the APC, describing those involved as “pretenders.”

He said the PDP would continue to operate as an opposition party and present its own political programme to Nigerians.

Meanwhile, an APC source said the party’s National Working Committee was waiting for President Tinubu’s position before determining its response to the disagreement.

The source said previous attempts by the APC leadership to intervene in the political dispute involving Wike in Rivers State had produced complications, making party leaders cautious about taking another step without the President’s direction.

Former APC Organising Secretary, Eze Duru, said the support of governors and politicians outside the APC would remain relevant to Tinubu’s political plans ahead of 2027.

Duru said the administration had, from its beginning, included people from different political parties and that the President would need to manage the interests of various political groups.

He also said Wike’s support for Tinubu remained part of the broader political calculations surrounding the 2027 election.

Political analyst and former President of the Nigerian Political Science Association, Professor Hassan Saliu, said the disagreement required careful management.

Saliu said Tinubu would need to maintain relationships with both Wike and APC governors, arguing that internal disagreements could affect political cooperation across the states.

He added that politicians who felt excluded from their parties could seek alternative political platforms, making it important for party leaders to address grievances and maintain internal cohesion.

The dispute comes as political parties and groups continue to position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Wike’s Rainbow Coalition and the APC governors taking different positions on how support for Tinubu should be organised.