PCC says President has experience to resolve dispute; APC chieftain asks Wike to explain coalition to governors

By Frontline Reporters

President Bola Tinubu has been urged to intervene in the growing disagreement between Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, over the proposed Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The call was made by the spokesman of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Ima Niboro, who described the dispute as an internal disagreement among political allies working towards the same broad objective of securing President Tinubu’s return in 2027.

The controversy centres on Wike’s cross-party political initiative, known as the Rainbow Coalition, which has reportedly raised concerns among APC governors who fear that the emergence of candidates from opposition parties could undermine the fortunes of APC candidates in state-level elections.

The Progressive Governors Forum, led by its chairman and Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has maintained that APC governors would neither participate in, support nor endorse any political arrangement capable of undermining the President’s re-election bid or the interests of APC candidates.

Wike, however, has dismissed the governors’ concerns, accusing some of them of being “politically lazy” and insisting that his support for President Tinubu should not be interpreted as an abandonment of his political party or an agreement that other parties should not field candidates.

Speaking on Arise TV on Tuesday, the former Rivers State governor said his political activities were informed by information and knowledge that might not be available to his critics.

“If they know what I know, they would not come out to shout,” Wike said.

He also maintained that his support for Tinubu remained firm, arguing that supporting the President was separate from the activities of his political party.

PCC: Dispute must be managed

Reacting to the development, Niboro said the disagreement should not be allowed to escalate into a crisis capable of weakening the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.

“I consider this a quarrel among political siblings. They are all working in the same direction, but there are differences in the details. Both camps agree that President Tinubu must return in 2027,” he said.

According to him, the dispute is gradually spreading to states and local government areas, making presidential intervention desirable.

He said Tinubu’s extensive political experience placed him in a position to manage the competing interests within the emerging coalition.

“The ultimate beneficiary of this entire process is the President. The quarrel we are talking about is a quarrel that is trickling down to states and local government areas.

“But both camps agree on re-electing the President. I do not see it as a direct challenge to the President himself, beyond the fact that he is a leader and it’s in his interest to intervene for peace,” Niboro said.

He urged political leaders involved in the dispute to reduce their public exchanges and concentrate on strengthening their grassroots structures.

“If you’re a political leader, stop talking, go and work. Go and establish authority in your political base,” he said.

Niboro also drew a historical parallel with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, arguing that internal disagreements could become more difficult to manage as political parties expand their membership and alliances.

He said such tensions were inevitable in a large political organisation but must be properly managed to prevent them from degenerating into destructive factionalism.

Wike should explain coalition to APC governors — Igbokwe

Meanwhile, APC chieftain Joe Igbokwe has called on Wike to meet with the party’s governors and explain the objectives of his proposed Rainbow Coalition.

Igbokwe described Wike as an important political stakeholder whose influence could not simply be ignored.

“Wike is a critical stakeholder. You can ignore him to your own peril. He has a command. He has followers,” he said.

However, he questioned the timing and manner in which the Rainbow Coalition was being promoted, stressing the need for consultation with the governors.

“Coming at this time, to put this Rainbow Coalition on the table, he has to listen to the majority, sit down with the governors and explain,” Igbokwe said.

He urged the parties to resolve their differences through dialogue rather than public exchanges.

“No man is an island. Explain to your colleagues what you are trying to do,” he added

Beware of pretentious governors, Okechukwu tells Tinubu

Former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria and APC foundation member, Osita Okechukwu, also weighed into the controversy, cautioning President Tinubu against pressure from some APC governors seeking to distance him from Wike.

Okechukwu argued that the disagreement should have been handled through internal party channels rather than being aired publicly.

“In my 48 years in party politics, I have never seen where such an elementary issue was pretentiously thrown open. May I ask the governors: don’t you have access to Mr. President, and what is the proverbial caucus meant for?” he asked.

He urged Tinubu to be cautious of what he described as “pretender governors,” arguing that some governors had allegedly become disconnected from their electorates and were now seeking to persuade the President to abandon his relationship with Wike.

Okechukwu further argued that Wike’s political structure had contributed to the APC’s electoral performance in 2023 and that the President should not disregard a political alliance capable, in his view, of producing additional votes.

“Mr. President has never overlooked the governors. All he wants is supplementary votes from Wike, especially in states where the electorate is angry and where some of the FPGs have alienated the people,” he said.

He advised the President to maintain a broad political coalition ahead of 2027, while urging APC governors to concentrate on strengthening their relationships with their constituents.

“The governors should concentrate on strengthening their relationship with the electorate rather than asking Mr. President to abandon a political alliance that could broaden the APC’s electoral reach,” Okechukwu said.

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