The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Monday dismissed concerns by some governors of the All Progressives Congress that the proposed Rainbow Coalition could undermine the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout, Wike said the coalition was primarily aimed at mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election and would not prevent politicians from contesting governorship and legislative elections on their respective party platforms.
The minister alleged that the opposition of some APC governors to the coalition was driven by their political interests, particularly attempts to influence the emergence of the next Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Wike specifically alleged that Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma, was positioning himself to become Senate President after leaving office.
His comments came days after APC governors declared that they would not support any political alliance capable of weakening the party or affecting its candidates at any level in the 2027 elections.
Uzodimma, at a meeting of APC governors in Abuja, said the forum would exclusively support APC candidates and would not endorse candidates outside the party.
Wike, however, argued that supporting Tinubu for President did not amount to an agreement to abandon candidates of other political parties in governorship and legislative elections.
He cited the experience of the G5 governors during the 2023 elections, saying members of the group supported Tinubu for President while their parties retained their candidates for other elective positions.
“In 2023, core leadership G5, we said we are going to support Mr President. But we never said that all our candidates in other elections will fail. We never said so,” Wike said.
He added, “Particularly in Rivers State, we supported Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; he won the presidential election. But in National Assembly election and the state election, PDP won.”
According to the minister, a similar arrangement could operate in 2027, with politicians supporting Tinubu for President while backing candidates of their preferred parties in governorship and legislative contests.
He rejected claims that such an arrangement would confuse voters, arguing that Nigerians had previously demonstrated their ability to vote across party lines.
Wike said, “Who will be more confused? Is it not my own candidates that will even be more confused when I’ve told them to support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and then again, they now go back to support other candidates?”
The minister alleged that some APC governors were concerned that politicians denied tickets by the ruling party could seek alternative platforms, win their elections and subsequently refuse to support candidates favoured by the governors.
