ZAMFARA GOVERNOR CHALLENGES WIKE OVER 2027 POLITICAL ALIGNMENT

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has urged Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to clarify his political position ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Lawal made the comments during an interview with Channels Television’s Inside Sources on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. He said Wike should either join the All Progressives Congress or reconsider his involvement with the Rainbow Coalition.

The governor said APC governors remained opposed to a political arrangement in which Wike supports President Bola Tinubu’s re-election while also backing candidates from other parties in governorship and legislative elections.

Lawal said political support should have a clear direction and stated that he intended to discuss Wike’s position with Tinubu when the President returns from his trip abroad.

Wike, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, has maintained that his support is specifically for Tinubu’s presidential bid and does not prevent the PDP from fielding candidates in other elections. He has also said the Rainbow Coalition is a cross-party platform and is separate from the APC.

The disagreement reflects an ongoing debate within the political space over how support for Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid should relate to party contests at state and legislative levels.

Lawal also defended the performance of his administration after Wike criticised some APC governors, saying the minister knew the individuals he was referring to.