Tinubu To Intervene In Wike, APC Governors’ Rift

By Jonathan Nda-Isaiah, Ademu Idakwo, James Kwen, Abuja; Anayo Onukwugha, Port Harcourt; Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin; Emmanuel Mgbeahurike, Owerri; Achor Abimaje, Jos; Aza Msue, Kaduna; and Nnamdi Mbawike, Enugu

President Bola Tinubu is expected to intervene in the growing political disagreement between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Tinubu, currently on a three-week working holiday in Europe, is expected back in Nigeria this weekend.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the president may meet members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) as early as next week to address the dispute, which has intensified ahead of the 2027 general elections.

There are also reports that Wike, who is in Spain, may meet Tinubu in France before the president returns to Nigeria.

The development came barely two days after APC governors rejected any political alliance or arrangement they said could undermine the party or its candidates in the 2027 elections.

Led by PGF chairman and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, the governors said they would support only candidates officially sponsored by the APC.

Uzodimma said the governors would not participate in, support or endorse any alliance capable of weakening the party or adversely affecting its candidates.

The declaration was widely viewed as a response to Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, which the FCT minister has said is focused on mobilising support for Tinubu’s re-election rather than supporting APC candidates in other elections.

Wike has maintained that his support for Tinubu does not amount to abandoning the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stressing that he remains free to support candidates of his choice in other contests.

He also criticised the APC governors for opposing the coalition, describing them as “politically lazy” and arguing that supporting a presidential candidate should not prevent parties from fielding candidates for governorship and legislative elections.

The dispute has created fresh tension within Tinubu’s political camp, with APC governors concerned about the activities of the Rainbow Coalition in their states.

Wike, however, has maintained that the coalition is not an APC structure but a platform for politicians across different parties supporting Tinubu’s second-term bid.

A source familiar with the development said Tinubu was expected to hear the concerns of the governors, Wike and other political stakeholders.

There was, however, no official confirmation of the proposed meeting as of press time.

LEADERSHIP sent text messages to the special adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, seeking confirmation of the reported meeting, but he had not responded.

Another Presidency source disclosed that Tinubu was already aware of alleged moves by some aggrieved APC governors to undermine the party in their states.

The source said the President had spoken with Uzodimma over alleged involvement of some governors in anti-party activities and expressed concern that such activities could weaken the APC’s chances in the affected states ahead of 2027.

 

Uzodimma Is Not Amaechi, Aide Cautions Wike

The media aide to Uzodimma has warned Wike against making disparaging remarks about the Imo governor.

Nwamkpa, the governor’s Special Assistant on Print Media, said Uzodimma was not former Rivers State governors Rotimi Amaechi and Celestine Omehia, or current Governor Siminalayi Fubara, whom Wike had previously criticised.

In a statement, Nwamkpa said: “Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, two days ago, we heard the insults you directed towards our governor, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum.

“I fail to comprehend why you choose to confront anyone. Hope Uzodimma is cherished by the people of Imo. Any insult directed at Uzodimma is an affront to the people of Imo. I advise you to exercise caution.”

Yilwatda May Cut Short Vacation

There are indications that APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda may cut short his overseas vacation and return to Nigeria to address the face-off between the party’s governors and Wike.

Yilwatda began a two-week vacation last Wednesday following what his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, described as an exceptionally demanding first year in office.

Tooki said the vacation was intended as “a well-deserved period of rest and personal rejuvenation” after months of party engagements, consultations, travels and strategic activities aimed at repositioning and strengthening the APC.

However, the dispute between the governors and Wike erupted barely a week into his vacation.

Party sources said the APC National Working Committee (NWC) would intervene in the dispute, even if the party did not openly defend its governors as the PDP had done for Wike.

A source said Yilwatda might be forced to return before the weekend to rally the NWC towards resolving the dispute.

“The NWC of the party is seriously concerned over what is happening between our governors and the FCT minister. The party national officers will wade into the matter.

“You know the National Chairman is presently on vacation abroad. Though he is supposed to return sometime next week, with this development, he may be coming back before the weekend to mobilise NWC members towards finding ways of ending the dispute between APC governors and the FCT minister,” the source said.

Tooki had yet to respond to questions on whether Yilwatda would cut short his vacation.

Meanwhile, APC founding member Osita Okechukwu cautioned Tinubu against yielding to demands by APC governors to distance himself from the Wike coalition.

Okechukwu said that in his 48 years of participation in Nigerian party politics, he had never seen such an elementary political issue “pretentiously thrown open” instead of being addressed through appropriate party channels.

“To the best of my knowledge, some of these governors have wittingly or unwittingly used their electorates and recklessly abandoned them, and now want Mr President to dump Wike.

“In my 48 years of participation in Nigerian party politics, I have never seen where such an elementary issue was pretentiously thrown open. May I ask them: don’t you have access to Mr President, and what is the proverbial caucus meant for? My summation is simple: Mr President, beware of pretenders.”

Okechukwu also cautioned Tinubu against what he described as the “booby trap” created by the political inheritance of some states where, according to him, APC governors had failed to adequately deliver dividends of democracy.

The former Director-General of Voice of Nigeria said there was nothing inherently wrong with Tinubu maintaining his political relationship with Wike, particularly because of Wike’s role in the 2023 presidential election.

“Truly, it is not improper for Mr President to dump Wike after we harvested the Wike masquerade, which not only boosted our great party’s votes in 2023, but also denied His Excellency Atiku Abubakar substantial votes and will mobilise voters in states where the governors had alienated the electorate by personalising power,” he said.

Asked about the governors’ declaration that they would lead Tinubu’s campaign, Okechukwu said the President had never overlooked them or denied them their role in the electoral process.

“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 them have alienated the people.

“The governors should therefore 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,” he said.

He urged Tinubu to keep his options open and maintain a broad political coalition ahead of 2027.

 

‘Stop Talking, Go and Work’

A spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Ima Niboro, urged the contending political actors to stop trading words and demonstrate their strength at the grassroots.

Speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show, Niboro said political leaders should take their campaigns to voters rather than continue public exchanges.

“When I said tone down the rhetoric, I do not mean stop working. Stop talking, go and work,” he said.

“All this shouting is not taking anybody anywhere. Go and work. Go and establish your authority on your political base.”

He urged politicians to engage voters in communities, marketplaces and other grassroots locations.

“Go to the people. Go to the streets. Go to the marketplaces. Go and win the people,” he said.

 

Rivers APC, Wike-backed PDP Back Wike

The APC in Rivers State has told the PGF that it will not pull out of the Rainbow Coalition, an alliance involving prominent members of the Action Alliance (AA), Labour Party (LP), PDP and APC.

Instead, the party advised APC governors to build more alliances and undertake broader mobilisation and engagement with other groups to increase voter turnout and support for Tinubu.

In a statement signed by its state chairman and publicity secretary, Chief Tony Okocha and Hon. Chibike Ikenga, the party said electioneering processes and outcomes were not determined by the same variables across Nigeria’s federating units.

“All politics is local and you cannot extrapolate a particular style, system, procedure, etc., to parts of the country,” it stated.

The party said it was working with Wike and other parties, individuals and groups that had joined the alliance to deliver Tinubu and other candidates in 2027.

Similarly, the PDP defended Wike’s support for Tinubu, saying the former Rivers State governor remained a political force that could not be ignored ahead of 2027.

Reacting to the APC governors’ rejection of Wike’s political support for Tinubu, PDP National Publicity Secretary Jungudo Haruna Mohammed said the governors should not regard Wike as a political liability, arguing that he had the constitutional and democratic right to determine whom he supported politically.

 

Political Scientists Warn of Wider Repercussions

Professor Ezekiel Major Adeyi of the Department of Political Science, University of Jos, said the 2027 elections were more complex than the current actors appeared to realise.

Adeyi argued that the APC governors might not have the President’s full attention on the issue, adding that Wike had “stolen the show” despite not being an APC member.

“If they are worried or see Wike as a drunkard in a Chinese shop, it is the party machinery that will check Wike, through his principal, Mr President,” he said.

He said Wike’s approach might not be conventional, but similar political manoeuvres had been witnessed in Nigeria since 1959.

Adeyi said Wike was playing a role outside conventional party structures to support Tinubu’s re-election.

“If the APC could deny Governor Fubara a second-term tenure, then the APC governors know very well that Wike has become an institution in the present dispensation.

“Do not be surprised that some of the APC governors approach Wike in their bid for a second term, knowing that he is not their party member.”

He warned that conventional party structures could have a weaker role in electioneering as the dispute unfolds.

Adeyi said Tinubu would work with groups capable of delivering electoral support, noting that pressure groups outside the APC were already involved in political activities.

“Will the President stop them? No!” he said.

He argued that Wike’s political interest was closely tied to Tinubu’s re-election and his influence in Rivers State.

“So, Tinubu can’t doubt Wike’s loyalty. Additionally, as the FCT minister, he must have built connections across parties, leading to his advocacy of Rainbow Coalition.”

Adeyi said Wike would likely concentrate on supporting Tinubu’s re-election rather than the governorship ambitions of APC governors, a development that could worry some governors seeking support for their own political futures.

He added that political parties and elections were dynamic, with new methods, interests and forms of mobilisation emerging over time.

“I want to say with confidence, as a scholar of politics, that Wike is interested in the Tinubu re-election and his firm control of Rivers State.”

According to him, Wike was effectively telling the governors: “I am not for you governors; my mission is to secure a second term for Tinubu.”

 

‘Wike, Govs’ Fight Not Good for Polity’

Professor Tukur Muhammad Baba, a northern-based political scientist, said the dispute between Wike and APC governors was unhealthy for the polity and created uncertainty about the direction of Nigerian politics.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP, Baba called on Tinubu to caution Wike or relieve him of his ministerial appointment.

He accused Tinubu and the Presidency of benefiting from Wike’s style of politics, which he said lacked a clear ideology.

“The fight leaves the voter or the supporter confused as to exactly what kind of politics is going on. And, like I said, it is not good for the country because it shows what is called shambolic.

“The action is shambolic in the sense that it unravels in bewildering directions that you don’t know where we are. We are just rotating. It’s like having dizziness in the head. Your head is just whirling around, and we just can’t make head or tail out of something.”

He added that the APC’s inability to clearly define Wike’s political position could create confusion among voters.

“In the case of Wike, we just don’t know whether he’s supporting the APC or just the President. And exactly what is he adding to the President? Why is Mr President keeping such a person in a position of power?”

Baba also questioned whether the 2027 political contest was centred on Tinubu personally rather than broader national policy.

“Is it about the personal ambition of the President and not about coming up with coherent policy statements that will guide the nation in moving forward? That’s why I said it’s all creating confusion about what exactly is the direction of our politics. It’s not good.”

 

Wike-Govs’ Rift Will Have Far-Reaching Implications — Asogwa

Professor Felix Asogwa of Enugu State University of Science and Technology warned that the dispute between Wike and APC governors could have far-reaching implications ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking exclusively to LEADERSHIP in Enugu, Asogwa said the conflict reflected the absence of clear ideological distinctions among political parties.

“You cannot belong to one party and maintain dominance in another party. How do you explain it, except that there is no ideological orientation because it is just a party for the sake of utilising it as an opportunity to have control of the so-called national cake?”

He described attempts by politicians in one party to influence another as inimical to the essence of party politics.

He said the dispute was rooted in a clash of interests and could create a deeper political crisis.

“Certainly, it is not a healthy development and it will have far-reaching implications because it will create crisis,” he stated.

 

Rainbow Coalition Threatens APC Cohesion — Saliu

The immediate past president of the Nigeria Political Scientists Association, Professor Hassan Saliu, said coalition-building was as old as democracy but warned that coalitions within a ruling party could threaten its internal cohesion.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP, Saliu said the APC governors’ rejection of the Rainbow Coalition represented a significant escalation of the dispute.

“For the first time since 2023, the governors have gone public to draw a red line. Their message is unambiguous: it is a no to the coalition,” he said.

He said the governors had effectively told members of the coalition to either join the APC fully and support its candidates or seek another platform.

Saliu said the governors believed the coalition could weaken the APC and create greater disloyalty.

He noted that the September 14, 2026 communique was more than rhetoric because the governors had declared their intention to mobilise for all APC candidates.

“What started as a personal quarrel has since escalated and now involves the entire APC Governors’ Forum,” he said.

According to him, the dispute has implications for the 2027 elections and Tinubu’s political support base, making mediation necessary.

Saliu said the APC’s challenge was to balance party cohesion with political inclusion.

“The ‘Rainbow Coalition’, whether real or perceived, is a symptom of deeper issues: the struggle for relevance, anxiety over 2027, and unresolved grievances from past primaries.”

He said the APC needed to reconcile aggrieved members, reward performance, pursue inclusion and address anti-party activities without alienating politically valuable actors.

“Wike, the governors and the party leadership must find a common language.

“2027 is not far. Moreover, in Nigerian politics, parties do not die in opposition. They die in power, through arrogance, division and neglect. The governors have read the riot act. The wise thing now is to follow it with a peace act.”

 

Rainbow Coalition May Diminish Other Parties’ Influence — Egobueze

Associate Professor of Political Science at Rivers State University, Dr Anthony Egobueze, said the Rainbow Coalition could diminish the influence of other political parties and groups in the state.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt, Egobueze said the coalition was centred on a common objective: Tinubu’s victory.

“The disagreement is something that will further shape democracy because democracy has to do with numbers. So, who is larger in number has to matter at this point.

“Is it the APC that is larger in number or is it Nyesom Wike? Who has more influence on the principal in question? Is it Wike that has influence on him or the governor that has influence on him? So, all these are the dynamics that will actually determine the politics and policies within that period.”

He said the actors were also competing for political relevance, but warned that the influence of the Rainbow Coalition could affect other parties, particularly in the selection of candidates for offices other than the presidency.

“If you don’t manage the influence of the Rainbow Coalition, it will diminish the influence of other political parties, especially where it has to do with the selection of candidates for other positions and not the presidency,” he said.

POINTS AT ISSUE

1. The unfolding battle between the APC governors — spearheaded by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Imo State Governor Senator Hope Uzodimma — and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike is a mix of revenge, ego-flexing, political survival, control of party structures and the desire to produce a successor in office.
2. President Bola Tinubu and APC leaders are expected to wade into the crisis as soon as he returns from his vacation this weekend.
3. Political science professors said the raging rift has negative implications for both the polity and the ruling APC ahead of the 2027 election.
4. Ahead of the 2027 elections, the rivalry between Wike and the governors is also about proving to President Bola Tinubu who can best deliver the election for him. For Wike, specifically, it is a matter of political survival, as a defeat for Tinubu in 2027 could have serious consequences for him.
5. On a broader scale, the battle is about remaining politically relevant beyond the 2027 election. It is also about who gets what in 2031.