Senior members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) say President Bola Tinubu is backing the Rainbow Coalition led by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, a claim that is widening divisions in the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Progressive Governors Forum, chaired by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, recently described the coalition as a threat to Tinubu’s re-election. The position has split the party, with some members siding with the governors and others standing with Wike.
Many APC figures who have left the party, or who are unhappy with how its primaries were run, have since endorsed Wike’s cross-party platform.
In an interview with Punch, a national leader of the APC, who was not named, described the coalition as a platform for aggrieved party members and an extension of Tinubu’s re-election machinery. The source said many APC leaders are backing Wike because of how the governors handled the primaries.
According to the source, members who might otherwise defect to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) are being steered to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which Wike leads. There, they are given tickets or recognition on the understanding that they will work for Tinubu.
“Anybody who left the party for ADC is considered an enemy,” the source said. Those who join the Wike-led PDP, the source added, are not seen as a threat.
The APC leader said Wike is looking after the party’s national leaders and delivering projects, and that the President is pleased with him. The source also warned that the number of APC governors could fall after the 2027 elections.
Another APC official said Tinubu’s victory next year is the party’s main concern, and that the activities of Wike and the governors matter far less. The official noted that some members who felt cheated by their governors in the primaries have already moved to Wike, and said the governors should have managed the post-primary crises better.
The official described Wike as a strong mobiliser for Tinubu’s re-election and asked how the party could work against him.
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