2027: Wike Dismisses APC Governors’ Opposition To Rainbow Coalition

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the opposition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum to the proposed Rainbow Coalition, saying the governors’ position has no political basis.

Wike, who spoke in an interview with Arise News on Tuesday night, argued that supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for re-election in 2027 did not mean that members of the coalition must abandon their respective political parties or stop fielding candidates for other elective positions.

The minister said he had never approached the APC Governors’ Forum to form an alliance with the party, stressing that his commitment to Tinubu’s second-term bid was based on his personal conviction about the President’s performance and the need to return power to the South in 2023.

According to him, the Rainbow Coalition is primarily concerned with supporting Tinubu at the presidential level, while allowing political parties and their members to pursue their interests in governorship, National Assembly and state assembly elections.

Wike challenged the argument that such an arrangement would undermine the APC, citing instances where governors and political leaders supported presidential candidates from other parties while simultaneously backing candidates of their own parties in legislative elections.

He specifically referenced Imo State, where he said the governor supported Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election but the APC performed poorly in the presidential poll while winning legislative seats in the same election.

“Is he saying that the people of Imo State were confused? As a sitting governor, he helped the President, but he couldn’t give him 10 per cent of the total votes. Labour Party scored 360,000; APC scored 66,000,” Wike said.

The minister argued that the voting pattern demonstrated that Nigerian voters could distinguish between presidential and legislative contests and vote for different parties at different levels.

Wike also cited the example of Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, who, despite belonging to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), is supporting Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election.

He questioned whether Soludo’s support for Tinubu would prevent APGA from presenting candidates for the National Assembly and other elections.

Similarly, he cited the position of the Labour Party and other political actors supporting the President at the presidential level while retaining their identities and interests in other elections.

“Soludo is supporting Mr President. So does it mean that Soludo will not present a candidate for Assembly election? And does it mean supporting Mr President that APGA will not support candidates for National Assembly election?” he asked.

Wike maintained that his support for Tinubu was not a covert attempt to undermine the APC, insisting that he had publicly declared his position and remained committed to it.

He said his decision to support Tinubu in 2023 was influenced by his belief that, after eight years of the presidency being held by the North, it was fair for power to return to the South.

The minister also said he had continued to support Tinubu because he believed the President was committed to transforming the country.

“I said I was going to support the President, and I supported him. And I said I was going to support him to get a second term because I have seen that he’s committed and dedicated to changing Nigeria. What has that got to do with my party?” he said.

Wike rejected suggestions that his position was incompatible with his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), arguing that support for a presidential candidate was not the same as abandoning one’s political party.

He further criticised politicians who, he said, were only beginning to loudly declare their support for the APC and Tinubu because of the approaching 2027 elections.

The FCT minister also took a swipe at some politicians who, according to him, believed that occupying the office of governor made them the ultimate authority in political affairs.

“Most of us think because we are governors, we are the alpha and omega. Anything we say must happen. It is not true,” he said.

Wike insisted that the emergence of a broad political coalition supporting Tinubu should not be interpreted as an attempt to destroy existing political parties.

He argued that if politicians genuinely wanted to secure Tinubu’s victory, they should be concerned about accommodating supporters from other parties rather than shutting them out.

Wike said that political parties should recognise the importance of voters and politicians who are willing to support Tinubu outside the APC structure.

The minister’s comments came against the backdrop of the APC Governors’ Forum’s declaration that there was no room for the Rainbow Coalition and that APC governors would support only candidates of the ruling party at all levels in the 2027 elections.