The Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the ongoing disagreement between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and APC governors over the minister’s proposed Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The PCC spokesperson, Ima Niboro, described the dispute as an internal disagreement between political allies who share the objective of supporting Tinubu but differ over how the political arrangement should operate.
Niboro said the disagreement should be managed before it spreads further into states and local government areas, adding that the President has the political experience required to bring the opposing sides together.
The dispute intensified after APC governors, led by Progressive Governors Forum Chairman and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, rejected political arrangements they believe could weaken the party or affect its candidates during the 2027 elections.
The governors have maintained that their campaign structure will focus on APC candidates at all levels and have opposed arrangements that could create competing political structures within their states.
Wike, however, has defended his Rainbow Coalition and insisted that his support for Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid does not prevent other political parties from presenting candidates for governorship and legislative positions.
The minister recently criticized APC governors who opposed his initiative, describing them as “politically lazy” and arguing that they should not use the President as an excuse for their disagreements with him.
Reacting to the dispute, Niboro urged both sides to stop the public exchanges and concentrate on grassroots political engagement.
He said the disagreement was similar to disputes that can emerge within a large political organization and warned that such differences needed to be handled carefully to prevent them from damaging the party’s wider political structure.
According to him, the central point of agreement between the two sides is support for Tinubu, although they disagree over the approach to achieving that objective.
Igbokwe asks Wike to meet APC governors
Meanwhile, APC chieftain Joe Igbokwe has urged Wike to meet with the party’s governors and explain the purpose and structure of the Rainbow Coalition.
Igbokwe described Wike as an important political stakeholder with an established support base but said the minister should engage the governors directly to address their concerns.
He argued that the disagreement would be better handled through discussions rather than continued exchanges in the media.
Okechukwu backs continued engagement with Wike
Former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu, also weighed into the dispute, cautioning President Tinubu against abandoning his political relationship with Wike.
Okechukwu argued that the disagreements should have been addressed internally and urged the President to consider the potential contribution of Wike’s political network to the 2027 election.
He also criticized some APC governors whom he accused of attempting to influence the President’s relationship with Wike.
The disagreement has continued to generate debate within the ruling party as political preparations for the 2027 elections intensify.
For now, the APC governors remain opposed to political arrangements that could affect their candidates, while Wike maintains that his coalition is focused on supporting Tinubu at the presidential level.
