APC Govs, Wike Feud Spreads To States

The raging rift between All Progressives Congress (APC) governors and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike, over the rainbow coalition has shifted to the states as the APC and PDP have taken sides on the matter.

Recall that the APC governors distanced themselves from Wike’s rainbow coalition political structure, which supports President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid but provides a strong opposition in APC states.

Wike has since defended his political arrangement with the president, saying he only promised to support the president’s reelection and to help APC governors win their states. He maintained that his party, the PDP, will contest state elections to win.

Some of the states where the rainbow coalition is causing tension are Kwara, Imo, Rivers, Benue, Katsina, Gombe, among others.

The rift has since attracted reactions from parties in the states. In Rivers, where the coalition is potent, the APC and PDP on Wednesday defended Wike against the attack of the APC governors, insisting that the arrangement was in the interest of President Tinubu.

But the APC leadership in the South-East yesterday endorsed the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) position calling for all APC candidates to receive the party’s support in the 2027 general elections.

They also rejected what they described as the “rainbow (chameleon) coalition” in the South-East, warning that the APC would resist any attempt to undermine its structures in the region.

The position was contained in a joint statement signed by the APC National Vice Chairman (South-East), Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, and the party chairmen in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states.

They described Wike’s attacks against the governors as “most unfortunate, reprehensible and completely unacceptable.”

According to the leaders, Wike’s criticisms were directed at governors who had delivered significant development in their respective states and secured more than 25 per cent of the presidential votes in their states in the 2023 election.

“Progressive Governors are not abstract politicians; they are performing leaders whose records speak for themselves,” the statement said, adding that the governors were independent elected leaders who should be treated with respect.

Speaking further, the APC Publicity Secretary, Imo State, Dr. FCC Jones Onwuasoanya, told LEADERSHIP that the party is absolutely on the same page with Governor Hope Uzodimma.

Onwuasoanya said the APC does not need to coalesce with any group or political party in order to ensure the victory of Mr. President and other candidates of our party in the coming elections.

“We advise the Minister of the FCT to quit playing games with our party. His Excellency Nyesom Wike is a politically stranded politician and should show some gratitude to President Bola Tinubu and our party for offering him a political shelter and accommodating his vociferous excesses.

“We know that he is trying to hide under our party’s popularity to push through the candidates of his factionalised PDP, but we will not allow that.”

When contacted, the PDP Publicity Secretary, Imo State, Lancelot Obiaku, said he would get back to our reporter but didn’t as of press time.

Wike’s Rainbow Coalition Is Not A Threat To Us – Benue APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Benue State chapter has said the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rainbow coalition led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is not a threat to the APC and Governor Hyacinth Alia’s victory in the 2027 general elections.

Speaking with _LEADERSHIP_, the state APC Publicity Secretary, Benedict Yawe, alleged that Benue voters would not accept the PDP due to its past antecedents in the state when the party governed the state.

Yawe stated: “The opposition PDP in Benue State is not much on ground and is not a threat to the APC and the re-election of Governor Hyacinth Alia in 2027. The PDP governed Benue State before and where are the party’s achievements? The PDP performed poorly and Benue people have not forgotten about the party’s poor leadership and performance.”

*Wike’s Rainbow Coalition Grand Deceit – Kwara APC Chairman*
Similarly, the APC in Kwara State, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, described Wike’s rainbow coalition as a grand deceit.

He cautioned Wike against attacking the APC governors whom he said are major and true supporters of President Bola Tinubu.

Fagbemi, who spoke with LEADERSHIP in Ilorin, said the coalition arrangement is confusing, noting that the opposition parties’ supporters will end up casting their votes for their parties and not Tinubu.

He asked Wike to defect to the APC if he meant well for Tinubu and join hands with APC leaders to deliver for Tinubu in the 2027 elections.

“The so-called rainbow coalition is confusing and a grand deceit; a ploy to undermine the president. Wike and his co-travellers are not helping Mr. President. How do they want to educate their supporters to vote for different parties and candidates during the elections? Let Wike face his party. He should come to the APC if he’s truly working for Mr. President,” Fagbemi said.

The state publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olushola Adewara, had yet to respond to the messages sent to his WhatsApp number as of the time of filing this report.

When our reporter spoke to him on the phone, he promised to get back, but did not as of the time of filing this report.

The spokesman of The Otoge Progressives (TOP), formerly G15 elements of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salman Jawondo (SAN), also promised to get back to our reporter after a phone call and WhatsApp message.

Katsina PDP Leaders Distance Party From Wike’s Rainbow Coalition

In Katsina, some PDP leaders distanced the party from the Rainbow Coalition, insisting that the coalition does not represent PDP members in the state.

The leader of a Katsina PDP support group, Muhammad Ahmad, said the party remains committed to its own candidates in the 2027 general elections. He argued that while Wike is free to support President Tinubu, PDP members in Katsina are focused on securing victory for the party’s candidates at all levels.

Ahmad added that the PDP governorship candidate in Katsina, Garba Yakubu Lado (Lado Danmarke), may have had a previous political relationship with Wike, but their political interests have now diverged.

“We have our candidates across the board, and we cannot abandon them to support another party’s candidate,” he said.

Also speaking, former Chairman of the Councillors’ Forum in Katsina State, Hon. Dauda Kurfi, criticised Wike’s decision to form the Rainbow Coalition, describing it as inconsistent with democratic practice.

He said alliances should be built through political parties rather than by an individual acting alone, adding that Nigeria needs to strengthen its democratic culture rather than encourage what he called political arrogance.