2027: APC Governors Reject Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, Insist on Party Loyalty

APC Governors Reject Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, Insist on Party Loyalty

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum has rejected political alliances capable of weakening the ruling party or creating divided loyalty among its members ahead of the 2027 general elections, in an apparent response to the Rainbow Coalition being promoted by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The governors, after a closed-door meeting in Abuja, resolved that they would not participate in, support or endorse any political arrangement capable of undermining President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, weakening the APC or adversely affecting candidates contesting under the party’s platform.

The position was announced by Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Hope Uzodimma, amid growing political tension over competing strategies for the 2027 elections.

Uzodimma said the governors were committed to strengthening the APC and protecting the interests of its candidates at all levels.

He said the forum had unanimously resolved that its members would not support arrangements capable of creating “confusion, divided loyalty or competing interests” within the party.

The declaration places the APC governors on a different political footing from Wike, whose Rainbow Coalition brings together politicians across party lines while seeking to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election.

Wike, a former Rivers State governor and serving FCT minister, has consistently maintained that his cross-party political activities are aimed at securing victory for Tinubu in 2027. He has also argued that supporting the President does not prevent him or members of the coalition from backing candidates from other political parties in governorship, National Assembly and other elections.

That position has become a major source of concern within sections of the APC, which fear that a political arrangement could produce a situation in which politicians support Tinubu for president but campaign against APC candidates in other contests.

The governors’ latest declaration therefore draws a clear line between supporting Tinubu’s presidential bid and supporting a broader political structure that could operate independently of the APC.

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Recent reports indicate that some influential APC blocs have become increasingly uncomfortable with Wike’s political activities, particularly where the coalition could affect the party’s candidates in states and constituencies.

The disagreement has also brought Wike into direct confrontation with Uzodimma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who is chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

Wike had accused the two governors of working against his political activities ahead of the 2027 elections. The FCT minister has nevertheless continued to insist that his objective is to help Tinubu retain the presidency.

The latest development is significant because the 2027 presidential election will be held alongside other elections, meaning political organisations seeking to influence the presidential contest will also have to contend with governorship and legislative races.

APC stakeholders are particularly concerned about the possibility of split-ticket voting, where voters could support Tinubu for president while choosing candidates from other parties for the Senate, House of Representatives or state-level positions.

The governors’ position suggests that they want the APC’s campaign machinery to operate as a unified structure, with support for Tinubu accompanied by support for the party’s candidates across the ballot.

Vanguard reported that the governors’ warning against “parallel political structures” came as tensions over the Rainbow Coalition intensified. The report said some APC blocs feared that the coalition could split votes and affect the party’s electoral prospects.

Punch also reported that APC governors had distanced themselves from any alliance with individuals or groups outside the party ahead of the 2027 elections, reaffirming their commitment to the APC’s political structure.

Wike’s political strategy has attracted particular attention because he remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while serving in the Federal Government led by Tinubu and has continued to operate across party lines.

His supporters have presented the Rainbow Coalition as a broad political platform capable of attracting support for Tinubu beyond the APC’s traditional membership base.

The coalition’s critics, however, argue that the strategy could become problematic if members support Tinubu for president while backing non-APC candidates in other contests.

The issue has assumed greater importance as politicians across Nigeria reposition ahead of the 2027 elections, with the APC seeking to consolidate its control of the Federal Government and expand its influence at state and legislative levels.

Wike has also remained active in Rivers State politics, where his influence continues to shape alignments ahead of the next election cycle. His disagreements with political figures in the state and with some APC governors have increasingly become part of the wider debate over the structure of the Tinubu campaign.

The dispute is therefore not simply a disagreement between Wike and individual governors. It reflects a wider struggle over political structures, party loyalty and control of electoral machinery ahead of 2027.

For the APC governors, the priority is to ensure that support for Tinubu is not separated from the interests of APC candidates seeking election to other offices.

For Wike and his allies, the argument is that a broader coalition involving politicians from different parties could strengthen Tinubu’s presidential support base and improve his chances of securing re-election.

The competing approaches could become more pronounced as the 2027 election timetable progresses and political parties finalise candidates, campaign structures and alliances.

The APC governors’ latest resolution could consequently increase pressure on Wike and other supporters of the Rainbow Coalition to clarify how their cross-party activities will operate alongside the interests of APC candidates.

For now, however, the governors have made their position clear: they intend to support Tinubu’s re-election while maintaining loyalty to the APC and its candidates at all levels, rejecting political arrangements they believe could create competing interests within the ruling party.

APC Governors Reject Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, Insist on Party Loyalty