President Bola Tinubu is expected to intervene in the growing disagreement between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The planned intervention is coming amid fresh tension over Wike’s “Rainbow Coalition” and the decision of APC governors to reject any political arrangement they believe could affect the party’s candidates in the 2027 general elections.
Tinubu may meet members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) as early as next week to discuss the dispute, according to reports emerging from the ruling party.
The meeting is expected to provide an avenue for the parties to discuss their differences and prevent the disagreement from growing into a wider crisis within the political camp supporting the president.
The development follows a meeting of APC governors in Abuja where they took a position against political alliances that could weaken the party or affect its candidates in the 2027 elections.
The position was announced by Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodimma.
Uzodimma said the governors would remain committed to the APC and its candidates across the different levels of the 2027 elections.
“The APC Governors Forum unanimously resolved that its members will not participate in, support or endorse any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining the re-election of Mr President, weakening the APC or adversely affecting any candidate of the party at all levels,” Uzodimma said.
Wike has been promoting the Rainbow Coalition as a broader political movement aimed at mobilising support for President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The FCT minister has, however, maintained that the coalition is not an APC structure and should not be interpreted as a platform against the ruling party.
His position is that politicians and supporters from different parties can work together for Tinubu’s re-election while still backing candidates of their choice in governorship and legislative elections.
The argument has put Wike at odds with the APC governors, who have drawn a distinction between supporting Tinubu and supporting candidates who may contest against APC candidates in other elections.
Wike recently criticised the governors for opposing his political arrangement.
He described them as “politically lazy” and questioned why support for Tinubu at the presidential level should prevent members of the coalition from backing candidates outside the APC in other contests.
The former Rivers State governor also argued that Nigerian voters had demonstrated in previous elections that they could vote for different political parties in presidential and legislative contests held on the same day.
He further said the disagreement between him and some APC governors did not begin with the Rainbow Coalition.
“All these things you are seeing didn’t start today, it started with the ministerial position. They are not happy, APC Governors, that I was given the Minister of FCT,” Wike said during a television interview.
Wike remains a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), despite serving as a minister in the APC-led federal government. His support for Tinubu has been one of the major political developments surrounding the president since the 2023 election.
The minister and other members of the former G5 governors had backed Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election despite remaining outside the APC.
Wike has continued to use that experience to explain why he believes politicians from different parties can unite behind Tinubu in 2027 without necessarily abandoning their respective parties.
The APC governors, however, are concerned about the effect of such arrangements on the party’s candidates.
The APC National Working Committee is also expected to play a role in efforts to calm the disagreement.
The party’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, is currently outside the country on a two-week vacation.
Yilwatda began the break earlier in September after what his media aide, Abimbola Tooki, described as an “exceptionally demanding and eventful first year” in office.
The APC said the vacation was designed to allow the national chairman to rest, reflect and prepare for the next phase of the party’s activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
Tooki also said Yilwatda would use the period to work on plans for a forthcoming National Working Committee retreat.
“The vacation will provide the National Chairman an opportunity to rest, rejuvenate and reflect on the party’s next phase of development ahead of the 2027 general elections,” the statement said.
There had been reports that the APC chairman could cut short his vacation because of the disagreement between Wike and the governors.
However, information from the party indicated that he was expected to complete the two-week break and return to Nigeria as scheduled.
The president is also expected to return to Nigeria after a working holiday abroad, according to reports on the planned intervention.
The APC South-East leadership recently backed the position of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and criticised Wike’s comments about the governors.
The group urged the FCT minister to apologise over remarks directed at APC governors.
There have also been calls from within the president’s political camp for the dispute to be handled internally.
A spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Ima Niboro, urged Wike and APC governors to stop their public exchanges and concentrate on political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.