Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has responded to the position of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum rejecting political arrangements that could operate outside the party’s structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The APC governors, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, said after a meeting in Abuja that they would not participate in, support or endorse any political alliance or arrangement capable of weakening the APC or affecting its candidates.
The governors said their campaign commitment would remain focused on candidates contesting elections under the APC platform.
Uzodimma, who chairs the APC Governors’ Forum, said the governors had not entered into any agreement with individuals or opposition parties and would not support candidates who are not sponsored by the APC.
The development followed growing attention around Wike’s proposed “Rainbow Coalition”, a political platform involving actors from different parties who support President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
Responding to the governors’ position, Wike said the Rainbow Coalition should not be regarded as an APC structure.
According to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike said the coalition was created as a platform for politicians from different parties to mobilise support for Tinubu.
Wike also clarified that his support for Tinubu’s re-election does not mean the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would stop fielding candidates for other elective positions.
He said the PDP could still contest governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections in 2027.
“What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the reelection of the President. I never promised anyone that PDP will not field candidates,” Wike said, according to the statement.
The FCT minister further argued that voters could support different political parties in presidential and legislative elections, citing the results of the 2023 elections in states including Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi.
Wike recalled that members of the G5 did not seek the APC’s permission before supporting Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.
He maintained that his current position similarly centres on supporting Tinubu at the presidential level rather than guaranteeing electoral victories for APC candidates in other contests.
“Most importantly, Rainbow Coalition has nothing to do with the APC,” Wike said, describing it as a way of mobilising support across political parties for the President.
The APC Governors’ Forum, however, has maintained that its campaign activities will focus exclusively on APC candidates at all levels.
The contrasting positions highlight a political disagreement over how cross-party support for Tinubu’s presidential bid should relate to the APC’s candidates and party structure ahead of the 2027 elections.
