The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress have clashed over the Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
While Wike maintains that the coalition is designed to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, the APC governors have rejected any political arrangement they believe could undermine the party or its candidates.
The development followed a meeting of APC governors in Abuja, where the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, said the governors would not support any alliance capable of weakening the APC or undermining Tinubu’s re-election.
Uzodimma said the governors’ campaign commitment remained exclusively to APC candidates at all levels.
The position appeared to be a response to Wike’s growing political activities through the Rainbow Coalition, which he has been promoting in Rivers State and other areas.
Wike, however, defended the coalition, insisting that his support for Tinubu did not amount to supporting APC candidates in all elections.
Through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the minister reiterated his support for Tinubu’s re-election but said the Rainbow Coalition was not affiliated with the APC.
He explained that the coalition comprised political parties and individuals supporting Tinubu while remaining free to contest against APC candidates in governorship, National Assembly and state assembly elections.
Wike had previously alleged that Uzodimma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq were behind some of his political challenges, particularly over the expansion of the Rainbow Coalition.
The minister argued that the coalition was intended to mobilise voters and influence electoral contests beyond the presidential election.
Meanwhile, factions within the Peoples Democratic Party have also reacted to the disagreement, with the Tanimu Turaki-led PDP faction criticising the APC governors over their position, while the Wike-backed faction defended the minister and maintained that the PDP would continue to field candidates for the 2027 elections.
The dispute has added another layer to the political alignments emerging ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly over whether support for Tinubu at the presidential level can coexist with opposition to APC candidates in other electoral contests.