A sharp political confrontation between the Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and All Progressives Congress (APC) governors has erupted into the open, centred on Wike’s cross-party “Rainbow Coalition” and competing visions of how to secure President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
The Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), chaired by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, held a closed-door meeting in Abuja on Monday night and formally rejected any external alliance or political arrangement that could undermine Tinubu’s second-term bid, weaken the APC, or hurt the party’s candidates at any level.
The governors resolved that their members would neither participate in, support, nor endorse coalitions capable of creating divided loyalty or fragmenting the party’s vote base.
Wike, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain who serves in the Tinubu administration, fired back immediately. He insisted his support is strictly for the president and does not extend to APC governorship or legislative candidates.
“I’m working for Tinubu, not APC,” he declared, describing the governors as “politically lazy” and accusing them of using the president’s re-election as cover for their own local challenges. He maintained that only Tinubu can question his political decisions and said the president is fully aware of the Rainbow Coalition.
Roots of the Rift
The Rainbow Coalition, which Wike has promoted as a multi-party platform drawing supporters from the PDP, APC, Labour Party and others, began as a Rivers State-focused structure aimed at mobilising voters for Tinubu while allowing participants to pursue their own ambitions in state and legislative races.
Wike has repeatedly framed it as independent of APC structures: after the president is re-elected, “we can all go and face elections in our states.”
Tensions with individual APC governors predated the formal PGF statement. In a media chat in Port Harcourt earlier this month, Wike named Uzodimma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as governors working against him.
He accused AbdulRazaq of leading a campaign of opposition and claimed the Kwara governor should instead appreciate the platform Wike provided for aggrieved APC figures who defected to the PDP.
Relations with Uzodimma, once warmer, have also soured; Wike questioned the Imo governor’s 2023 electoral delivery for Tinubu, noting the APC’s relatively low presidential vote share in the state despite other successes.
Wike has further linked the governors’ resentment to his appointment as FCT minister and alleged that some APC governors misled Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara during the prolonged political crisis between the two, ultimately harming Fubara’s position.
Parallel disputes in Rivers continue, with Wike contesting claims of automatic APC leadership for Fubara (who defected to the ruling party) and warning APC national officials against interference in the state’s politics.
Competing Visions Ahead of 2027
At the heart of the clash is a fundamental disagreement over political strategy. APC governors argue that genuine support for Tinubu must travel with support for the party’s full slate of candidates to avoid confusing voters and diluting organisational strength.
Wike counters that cross-party mobilisation for the president is legitimate and necessary, pointing to other governors from opposition platforms who back Tinubu without abandoning their parties’ candidates elsewhere.
The confrontation carries clear stakes for 2027. Wike’s network retains influence in Rivers and has been associated with political activities in states including Kwara, Imo, Gombe, Benue and others—areas where incumbent APC governors or their preferred successors face challenges. Analysts note that unresolved friction risks complicating Tinubu’s campaign machinery and party cohesion.
APC national leadership has begun moves to contain the dispute through multi-level engagement, wary that a prolonged public feud could fester.
Figures close to the presidential campaign have urged both sides to end open exchanges, describing the row as a “quarrel among siblings.” A PDP faction aligned with Wike has warned APC governors against undermining him, alleging they fear competitive elections due to performance concerns.
Other voices, including former Ekiti Governor Ayo Fayose, have downplayed the threat to Tinubu’s prospects, attributing much of the tension to personal and sectional interests.
As of mid-September 2026, both camps continue to affirm loyalty to the president’s re-election. Yet the underlying contest—over influence, candidate selection, party structures and the boundaries of cross-party support—remains unresolved, leaving the APC and its key allies navigating a delicate balancing act months ahead of the next general elections.
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