FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has rejected the APC Governors’ Forum’s position on his Rainbow Coalition, insisting that his political commitment is to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election rather than preventing other parties from fielding candidates.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has pushed back against the position of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum over his emerging “Rainbow Coalition” ahead of the 2027 elections.
Wike said the coalition should not be interpreted as an APC structure and insisted that he never promised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or the APC that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would not field candidates in the 2027 elections.
The dispute follows a resolution by APC governors that they would not participate in, support or endorse political arrangements capable of weakening the party or adversely affecting its candidates.
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, said the governors remained committed to protecting the APC and Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Wike, however, has maintained that his political priority is ensuring Tinubu’s victory in the presidential election and that cross-party cooperation does not necessarily mean abandoning individual parties.
The FCT minister has previously described the Rainbow Coalition as a broader political arrangement involving politicians from different parties who support Tinubu’s re-election.
The disagreement exposes a potential fault line within the pro-Tinubu camp: whether support for the president should automatically translate into support for APC candidates at every other level of the election.
APC governors appear concerned that a cross-party coalition could support Tinubu for president while backing candidates from other parties in governorship and legislative contests.
Wike, meanwhile, has argued that his support for Tinubu should not prevent politicians from maintaining their respective party identities.
The disagreement could become increasingly significant as the 2027 election draws closer and parties begin finalising candidates and electoral strategies.