APC Moves To End Wike, APC Govs’ Rift As Yilwatda Returns

Arrangements are in top gear to resolve the differences between governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, credible sources in the ruling party told our correspondent yesterday.

LEADERSHIP gathered that President Bola Tinubu 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.

The development came after the 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 said was focused on mobilising support for Tinubu’s re-election rather than supporting APC candidates in other elections.

Wike has maintained that support for Tinubu does not amount to abandoning the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stressing that he remained 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.

Credible sources in the party told LEADERSHIP Sunday that the National Working Committee (NWC) was making all the arrangements for the truce, especially as the national chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, is expected back to the country early this week.

“The party is not taking chances, arrangements are in top gear and when the national chairman returns as the week begins, he would lead the NWC to confer with Mr President on how best to address the matter,” a source said.

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.

There were speculations that the APC national chairman may ma cut short his overseas vacation and return to Nigeria at the weekend to address the face-off between the party’s governors and Wike.

However, his special adviser on media and information strategy said he would exhaust his vacation.