Wike vs APC govs: Tinubu may broker truce in France

President Bola Tinubu is set to intervene in the growing face-off between All Progressives Congress governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, ahead of the 2027 elections.

A senior presidential aide familiar with the development, who spoke exclusively to The PUNCH on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment on the matter, said Tinubu was expected to engage the parties in a bid to resolve their differences.

The source added that the intervention was likely to take place abroad before the end of the week.

President Tinubu is currently on vacation in France.

Wike, a leader of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, who is serving in the APC-led Federal Government as the FCT minister, has been promoting the Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State in support of Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

Wike, who has been at odds with some APC governors, alleged during a recent media chat that Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and his Imo counterpart Hope Uzodimma were behind his recent political challenges.

According to Wike, the governors’ opposition was linked to the growing national spread of his Rainbow Coalition, which he said was providing a platform for politicians seeking to challenge APC candidates in governorship and senatorial elections.

In an apparent response to Wike, Uzodimma, who chairs the APC Progressive Governors’ Forum, said after the forum’s meeting in Abuja on Monday night that APC governors would not support any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining Tinubu’s re-election or weakening the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Uzodimma stressed that the governors’ campaign commitment was exclusively to APC candidates at all levels.

Wike, however, defended the coalition, maintaining that the alliance was designed to support Tinubu’s presidential bid while strengthening the PDP in other electoral contests against the APC.

He argued that his support for Tinubu did not amount to an endorsement of APC candidates across the states, insisting that he remained free to support candidates of his choice.

The former Rivers State governor also accused the APC governors of being politically weak and lacking the capacity to secure victory in their respective states.

Meanwhile, two APC leaders told our correspondent exclusively on Wednesday that the disagreement between Wike and the governors was also linked to political calculations for 2031, the leadership of the 11th National Assembly and Wike’s mobilisation of support for PDP candidates seeking to challenge the governors and their allies in other elective positions.

Consequently, several APC leaders and other stakeholders have expressed concern that, if left unresolved, the crisis could undermine President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.

However, the senior presidential aide disclosed that Tinubu would intervene to broker peace and prevent Wike and the governors from working at cross-purposes.

The source stated, “You know, the President is the leader of the party and the father of the nation. The interesting aspect is that the governors and the minister are all working in the interest of the President and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“So, of course, President Tinubu will intervene in the face-off between the All Progressives Congress governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. There will be an intervention to broker a truce and resolve whatever differences exist between them, ensuring that all parties work together ahead of the coming election.

“The intervention is likely to take place abroad before the end of the week.”

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In a related development, APC South-East leaders have voiced strong support for Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma and the Progressive Governors’ Forum, rejecting recent criticisms from the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike.

The position appears in a joint statement signed by the APC National Vice Chairman, South-East, Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, and the party chairmen of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo. The statement was made available to journalists in Abuja on Thursday.

Describing Wike’s comments as “most unfortunate, reprehensible and completely unacceptable,” the South-East APC called on the minister to withdraw his attacks and return to “party discipline, mutual respect and collective responsibility.”

The statement said the Progressive Governors are elected, performance-driven leaders whose records and electoral achievements — including securing more than 25 per cent of the presidential vote in their states in 2023 — merit respect. It accused Wike of seeking to influence the political fortunes of serving APC governors ahead of the 2027 elections and stressed that a minister has no authority over elected governors.

“It is more troubling that Wike’s growing tendency to insult, diminish and plot to remove sitting Progressive Governors in 2027 is increasing each day,” the leaders said.

They also rejected what they described as a “rainbow (chameleon) coalition” in the South-East, warning that the APC would resist any attempt to undermine its regional structures. The statement declared: “We in the South East stand solidly with all Progressive Governors and candidates of our party at all levels in the forthcoming 2027 elections.”

The South-East leaders added that the APC is “bigger than any individual,” and urged members to support the party’s candidates — from President Bola Tinubu down to State Houses of Assembly — in 2027.

Ex-Rep slams Wike

Former House Minority Leader Farouk Adamu-Aliyu has warned that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike will not be allowed to fracture the All Progressives Congress as he allegedly did the Peoples Democratic Party.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Adamu-Aliyu said the APC appreciated Wike’s role in weakening the PDP ahead of the 2023 presidential election, but cautioned that Wike cannot use his support for President Bola Tinubu to influence or divide the ruling party.

“We want to appease Nigerians. You don’t talk to people in such a way that they don’t vote for us again. So we don’t want anybody who will come and insult Nigerians,” he said, adding that while the party recognises the hardship facing citizens, it is working to regain their confidence ahead of 2027.

Adamu-Aliyu criticised Wike’s tone toward voters and APC leaders. “Despite the fact that we know there is a lot of hardship, we are trying to do better things that will make people believe in us. But just because you want to support the president, you insulted people anyhow and even insulted our leaders.”

On Wike’s role, he stressed that the minister is not an APC member and cannot dictate the party’s affairs. “Look, Wike is not a member of our party. So we will treat him as a member of the opposition,” Adamu-Aliyu said, acknowledging Wike’s contribution to weakening the PDP but rejecting any attempt to use the APC to build a rival faction.

“We appreciate everything Wike has done for us. In fact, anybody who is willing to destroy his party for us, we will welcome him… However, we will not allow him to use our party to build his own party,” he added.

When asked whether the party regretted appointing Wike to Tinubu’s administration, Adamu-Aliyu said there was no regret but expressed concern that Wike’s actions could become “an albatross.” He noted a distinction between Wike’s 2023 role within the PDP and his present position outside the APC.

“If he had told us [about his approach], perhaps we wouldn’t be exchanging words with Wike,” he said, insisting that no APC leader authorised Wike to act unilaterally.

Asked what he would do as president, Adamu-Aliyu said he would keep disputes out of the public eye and manage relations privately. “I will tell Wike and members of my party that look, this gentleman helped us, and we are still going to use him. So, please work with him. Now, Wike will also have to accept that our party is supreme in this thing.”

He urged the party to seek forgiveness from Nigerians for past mistakes and to avoid rhetoric that alienates voters. “We are trying to convince people to forgive some of our mistakes and give us an opportunity to make amends. It is not to come and anger people and speak anyhow,” he said.

Efforts to reach Lere Olayinka, Wike’s media aide, were unsuccessful; he did not answer calls to his mobile phone or respond to WhatsApp messages as of the time this report was filed.