The political tension between Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has erupted into an open confrontation, with the dispute over the proposed “Rainbow Coalition” threatening to complicate the ruling party’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The disagreement came into public view after the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), chaired by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, rejected any political alliance that could weaken the APC or undermine its candidates in the 2027 elections.
The governors’ position was reached during a closed-door meeting in Abuja, where the forum resolved that its members would not participate in, support or endorse any political arrangement capable of weakening the party, affecting APC candidates or creating divided loyalty among its supporters.
Governors Draw the Line
The governors’ position centres on concerns that supporting candidates outside the APC could create confusion among voters, weaken the party’s structures and undermine its candidates at various levels of the 2027 elections.
Uzodimma has maintained that the APC must protect its political structure and ensure that the party remains united ahead of the elections.
The position has effectively placed the governors at odds with Wike, who has been promoting a cross-party political arrangement known as the Rainbow Coalition.
Wike Fires Back
Rather than backing down, Wike has publicly rejected the governors’ position, insisting that he never approached the Progressive Governors Forum seeking an alliance.
Speaking on Arise Television, the former Rivers State governor said his political initiative was primarily aimed at mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election and was not an attempt to create a parallel APC structure.
“There is no day I went to the Governors’ Forum to align with any rainbow coalition,” Wike said.
Wike also described the APC governors as “politically lazy”, arguing that their concerns about candidates from different political parties supporting Tinubu were misplaced.
He cited examples of politicians belonging to opposition parties who could support Tinubu for the presidency while their parties continue to field candidates for legislative and other positions.
The minister further insisted that his political activities were known to Tinubu.
“There is nothing that I do that I don’t tell Mr President,” Wike said, according to reports of the interview.
A Dispute That Goes Beyond the Coalition
The disagreement appears to have deeper roots than the current controversy over the Rainbow Coalition.
Wike has suggested that tensions between him and some APC governors predate the coalition and can be traced to Tinubu’s decision to appoint him FCT minister.
The minister has also pointed to his political role during the 2023 presidential election, when the G5 group of PDP governors, of which he was a leading figure, refused to support the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Wike’s current political strategy similarly seeks to mobilise support for Tinubu across party lines without necessarily requiring those involved to formally join the APC.
Why the Governors Are Worried
For the APC governors, however, the issue is not simply whether politicians from other parties can support Tinubu.
Their concern is whether such a coalition could create competing political structures and potentially affect APC candidates contesting governorship, National Assembly and other positions.
The governors control significant party structures in their respective states, including grassroots networks and electoral machinery, making their cooperation important to the ruling party’s campaign organisation.
Recent reports indicate that the disagreement has already generated support for both sides within APC circles, with some party figures defending Wike while others have backed the governors’ position.
Tinubu Caught Between Two Political Forces
The dispute presents President Bola Tinubu with a delicate political challenge as his administration approaches the 2027 election.
On one side are APC governors who control the party’s formal structures across the states. On the other is Wike, a prominent political figure who has positioned his Rainbow Coalition as a vehicle for attracting support for Tinubu from outside the APC.
Wike has repeatedly argued that supporting Tinubu for president does not prevent politicians from supporting candidates of their respective parties in other elections.
He has also said that his political activities are aimed at increasing the president’s support base beyond the traditional APC structure.
Calls for a Resolution Grow
The escalating disagreement has prompted concerns within the ruling party that an unresolved confrontation could affect internal cohesion ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Guardian reported that the confrontation has raised questions about control of the political machinery surrounding Tinubu’s re-election campaign, while party officials have called for unity among stakeholders.
For now, Tinubu has not publicly taken sides in the dispute.
Wike, however, insists that the President is aware of his political activities, while the governors continue to defend the APC’s formal structures and candidates.
The Road Ahead
With both camps maintaining their positions, the Rainbow Coalition controversy has developed into a broader debate over how Tinubu’s 2027 campaign should be organised — through the APC’s established structures, through a wider cross-party alliance, or through some combination of both.
Whether the disagreement produces a negotiated settlement or develops into a deeper confrontation remains to be seen.
What is clear is that the dispute has moved beyond private political discussions and into the public arena, putting a spotlight on the competing interests within the President’s political camp well ahead of the 2027 elections.
