ABUJA — A fresh political battle is brewing within Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as influential party blocs raise concerns over the growing activities of the National Rainbow Coalition championed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
APC governors and other party stakeholders are reportedly worried that the coalition’s strategy of supporting President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election while backing candidates from opposition parties in other elections could create confusion among voters and ultimately undermine the ruling party’s candidates.
Wike, a prominent figure within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has repeatedly insisted that the Rainbow Coalition is firmly committed to Tinubu’s re-election. His opponents, however, argue that the coalition’s decision to field candidates on different party platforms could lead to vote splitting, particularly in states where presidential, National Assembly and governorship elections will be held simultaneously.
The development is already generating political tension in states including Rivers, Kwara, Gombe and Cross River.
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Wike: Coalition Is Working for Tinubu
Speaking during a media interaction in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Wike accused Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma, as well as Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, of spearheading opposition to his political activities.
Wike said the criticism was politically motivated, particularly because of his support for President Tinubu.
He maintained that he had never hidden his political intentions and insisted that personal disagreements with some APC governors would not prevent him from pursuing what he described as his commitment to Tinubu’s re-election.
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The minister also accused some of his critics of failing to acknowledge the platform he had provided for aggrieved APC politicians who defected to the PDP rather than joining a broader anti-Tinubu opposition movement.
Why APC Governors Are Worried
Sources close to the APC governors said their major concern was that the Rainbow Coalition could confuse voters who may find it difficult to understand why individuals campaigning under different political parties are simultaneously claiming to support the same presidential candidate.
The concern, according to the sources, is particularly strong in rural communities where voters traditionally tend to vote along party lines.
The Wike-backed coalition has reportedly fielded PDP candidates for National Assembly elections scheduled to take place alongside the 2027 presidential election.
Critics fear that supporters mobilized for those candidates could vote for the PDP at other levels of the ballot, potentially reducing the number of votes available to APC candidates — including Tinubu.
Sources close to the presidency reportedly said the President had been briefed about the possible implications of the coalition.
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The issue was also said to have been discussed among governors at a recent meeting in Abuja.
Rivers Becomes Major Battleground
Rivers State appears to be one of the most complicated theatres of the emerging political realignment.
The Rainbow Coalition, which cuts across the PDP, APC and Labour Party, among others, was reportedly formed in January 2026 during the political crisis involving Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The coalition gained greater prominence after Fubara moved into the APC camp.
The situation has now produced uncertainty over the candidate Rivers voters will ultimately support in the 2027 governorship election.
Wike has backed Hon. Ogundu Kingsley Chinda, a former PDP Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, as the APC candidate.
Chinda’s movement from the PDP to the APC, however, remains a subject of litigation, according to the source material.
The coalition has also chosen the current Majority Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Major Jack, as Chinda’s running mate.
But the arrangement has generated disquiet among some members of the coalition, particularly those from the riverine areas of the state.
Some have questioned why an upland candidate should emerge as the coalition’s preferred governorship candidate when several other aspirants come from the riverine communities.
The disagreement has also revived concerns about political representation and alleged marginalisation of the Ijaw and other riverine communities.
Dr Jackson Omenazu of the International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights questioned the clarity of the coalition’s strategy.
He argued that Rivers voters deserved to know exactly which political platform they were expected to support when candidates were flying different party flags.
Another political actor, Hon. Desmond Stephen, also criticised the coalition, alleging that its strategy could create voter apathy.
Wike, however, has remained confident that candidates associated with the Rainbow Coalition will emerge victorious.
Gombe: Pantami’s Realignment Adds New Dimension
In Gombe State, the political realignment has taken another turn following the movement of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, to the PDP with the backing of the Rainbow Coalition.
According to the source material, the development could enable Pantami to support President Tinubu at the presidential level while simultaneously opposing APC candidates at the state level.
The situation illustrates the increasingly complex nature of the coalition, which seeks to separate support for the presidency from support for candidates at other levels of government.
Kwara APC Crisis Deepens
Kwara State has emerged as another major flashpoint.
The political crisis intensified following the defection of Senator Saliu Mustapha from the APC to the PDP.
Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central Senatorial District, had previously contested for the APC governorship ticket but lost to Speaker Salihu-Yakubu Danladi.
He also faced a political contest with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq over the Kwara Central senatorial seat.
Following his defection to the PDP, Mustapha reportedly secured the party’s ticket to contest the Kwara Central senatorial seat against AbdulRazaq in the 2027 election.
Another APC chieftain, Kolo Jiya, also reportedly defected to the PDP and received the party’s ticket for Kwara North.
Two members of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Olushola Odetundun and Saba Yisa Gideon, also reportedly moved from the APC to the PDP.
The developments have further complicated the relationship between Wike’s political camp and the APC structure in Kwara.
The state chapter of the National Rainbow Coalition was formally launched in Ilorin on August 26, 2026, under the banner of Otoge Progressives.
The coalition says its members are free to support different parties at state and legislative levels while uniting behind Tinubu for the presidency.
Political Analysts Raise Concerns
Former Head of the Department of Political Science at the University of Ilorin, Dr Abdul Kareem Jimoh, said APC governors had legitimate reasons to be concerned.
According to him, Wike’s influence extends beyond traditional party boundaries, creating an unusual political situation in which a politician associated with one party can exercise significant influence within another.
Jimoh, however, warned that the consequences of the current political arrangement could extend beyond the 2027 election.
He suggested that Wike could become an even more significant political factor ahead of the 2031 elections if he successfully consolidates his current influence.
Lawyer: Wike Has Freedom of Speech
Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ilorin branch, Barrister Jimoh Mohammed, offered a different perspective.
Speaking in his personal capacity as a lawyer, Mohammed said the disagreement between Wike and AbdulRazaq appeared to be political and should be understood within that context.
He noted that Wike, like every citizen, has the right to express his political views, while also questioning why the national leadership of the APC had not publicly condemned his attacks against an APC governor.
‘It’s Pretty Bad’ — Adedoyin
Media practitioner and politician Alhaji Raheem Adedoyin described the situation as troubling for the APC.
He recalled previous instances in Kwara where politicians benefited from the APC platform before later defecting to the PDP.
Adedoyin argued that politicians who leave the APC should relinquish positions and privileges obtained through the party before testing their popularity on another platform.
He particularly criticised the idea of individuals using resources associated with the APC-controlled federal government to build political structures against APC candidates at the state level.
Cross River Also Feels the Heat
Cross River State is witnessing a similar political realignment.
The Rainbow Coalition reportedly includes PDP, Labour Party and ADC elements seeking to challenge APC candidates, including Governor Bassey Otu.
The PDP has an active governorship campaign led by Arthur Jarvis, owner of Arthur Jarvis University and son of former military governor of the state, Brigadier Dan Archibong.
Meanwhile, the PDP has also fielded candidates for Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly seats.
The political movement has reportedly attracted former APC members, including about 500 members who recently defected to the PDP under the Osopel Support Group.
But questions remain over whether grassroots PDP supporters understand the coalition’s reported strategy of supporting Tinubu at the presidential level.
Dr Lyon Ebamane, a lecturer at the University of Calabar, argued that Wike’s attempt to redirect PDP presidential votes toward Tinubu may prove difficult.
He said many PDP supporters were likely to remain loyal to their party during the presidential election because that was the political message they understood.
Analyst Warns Coalition Could Hurt Tinubu
Politics Editor of Arise News, Sunna Sambo, has also warned that Wike’s coalition could pose a challenge to Tinubu’s 2027 calculations.
Sambo said the major danger was the possibility that voters could struggle to navigate a ballot involving candidates from different political parties who are all being presented as members of the same coalition.
He said APC governors were already advising President Tinubu to approach the coalition with caution.
According to him, the emergence of opposition figures and the reception given to politicians such as Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso in Port Harcourt suggested that Rivers State could produce an unpredictable electoral outcome.
He also cautioned that Rivers voters should not be assumed to automatically follow the political direction of any individual leader.
Wike Doubles Down
Despite the growing criticism, Wike has remained defiant.
The FCT minister has declared that his objective is to strengthen support for President Tinubu while making opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, politically uncomfortable ahead of 2027.
He also dismissed suggestions that Osun State Governor-elect Ademola Adeleke’s victory represented a boost for the opposition.
Wike maintained that Adeleke remained part of the political coalition supporting Tinubu.
He further promised that Nigerians would witness greater activity from the Rainbow Coalition in the coming weeks.
A Battle Within a Battle
The emerging political drama presents an unusual scenario ahead of the 2027 elections.
On one side, Wike and his allies insist that the Rainbow Coalition is designed to secure President Tinubu’s re-election while allowing members to pursue their preferred candidates at other levels.
On the other side, APC governors and their supporters fear that the strategy could backfire by splitting votes, confusing voters and weakening the ruling party’s candidates.
With political realignments already unfolding in Rivers, Kwara, Gombe and Cross River, the Rainbow Coalition is rapidly becoming one of the most closely watched political developments ahead of the 2027 elections.
Whether the strategy will ultimately strengthen Tinubu’s presidential bid or inadvertently weaken the APC’s electoral machinery remains one of the major questions Nigeria’s political class will be watching as the 2027 contest gathers momentum.
