FCT Minister Nyesom Wike is facing growing resistance from APC chapters across several states over his Rainbow Coalition, with party leaders insisting he must join the ruling party if he wants to work fully for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election. The disagreement has opened another political front between Wike and members of the APC ahead […]
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike is facing growing resistance from APC chapters across several states over his Rainbow Coalition, with party leaders insisting he must join the ruling party if he wants to work fully for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election.
The disagreement has opened another political front between Wike and members of the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly over who should control the structures mobilising support for Tinubu.
Wike remains a member of the PDP but has continued to publicly support Tinubu’s re-election, while promoting a coalition bringing together politicians from different political backgrounds.
His position has, however, come under increasing criticism from APC governors and state leaders who say support for the President should also translate into support for APC candidates contesting other elective positions.
Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal was among the latest APC leaders to make the demand, telling Wike to either join the party or abandon the Rainbow Coalition.
Lawal said the APC governors had maintained a consistent position on the matter, arguing that Wike could not support Tinubu at the presidential level while simultaneously backing candidates from other political parties.
The Zamfara governor also disclosed that he planned to discuss Wike’s political position with President Tinubu, saying there should be clarity over where the minister belongs politically.
Several APC state chapters subsequently echoed the call for Wike to formally join the party.
In Imo, APC spokesman Jones Onwuasoanya said Wike should become a full member of the ruling party and campaign for APC candidates at all levels if his support for Tinubu was genuine.
Gombe APC spokesman Murtala Usman also backed the position, saying the Rainbow Coalition could generate confusion among APC stakeholders, particularly in states where party members were already dealing with political realignments.
Ondo APC took an even broader position, rejecting a political arrangement that would support Tinubu for President while allowing candidates from other parties to receive backing in legislative and governorship elections.
The chapter said its objective was to mobilise support for APC candidates across the ballot and urged Wike to merge his political structures with those of the ruling party.
Jigawa, however, offered a more welcoming response. The state APC said it appreciated Wike’s support for Tinubu and would welcome him if he chose to formally defect to the party.
Benue also presented a divided picture, with different APC factions taking opposing positions on whether Wike should join the ruling party or remain outside it.
In Rivers, where Wike was governor, an APC faction backed the Progressive Governors Forum’s resistance to the coalition and argued that the electorate could be confused by an arrangement involving candidates from different political parties on the same election day.
Other APC chapters have been more cautious. Osun and Delta said decisions concerning Wike’s possible membership or the coalition should come from the national leadership rather than individual state chapters.
Bayelsa APC figures also urged Wike to join the ruling party if he remained committed to Tinubu, while the state chairman declined to comment on the matter.
Wike, meanwhile, has consistently defended the coalition, insisting that it is not an APC structure and was not established to destabilise the ruling party. His position is that politicians can support Tinubu for President while retaining the right to support or contest other elections under their respective parties.
The minister has also pointed to the 2023 political arrangement involving himself and other G5 members, who supported Tinubu without formally joining the APC. Wike has maintained that political alliances should reflect local interests and that his priority at the moment is Tinubu’s re-election.
The dispute now leaves the ruling party and Wike facing a significant political disagreement over whether Tinubu’s presidential campaign can operate through a broader cross-party coalition while APC candidates seek votes in the same 2027 elections.