A growing rift within Nigeria's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is emerging as a group of aggrieved governors engage in discussions with opposition politicians. This development comes as an increasing number of dissatisfied party members and former leaders align with the Rainbow Coalition, led by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The coalition, a cross-party political alliance, is reportedly gaining traction ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The APC governors are reportedly uneasy about Wike's growing influence, fearing his coalition may encroach on their local political structures by absorbing aggrieved APC members and politicians who lost in party primaries. The governors' anxieties have been heightened by the election timetable, which schedules the 2027 governorship election for February 6, three weeks after the January 16 presidential poll.
According to sources, some APC governors are uncomfortable with claims by Wike that President Bola Tinubu has already ceded nine states to his coalition in the governorship election. While such claims may be seen as political posturing, the governors cannot afford to dismiss them. President Tinubu will not be seeking re-election after 2027, and it would cost him little to cede some states, as Wike claimed.
The primary point of friction for the governors is the Rainbow Coalition's campaign strategy, which urges electors to vote for President Tinubu in the presidential ballot while backing opposition candidates in state and legislative elections. Some APC governors argue that if Wike can mobilize opposing structures at the state level while supporting Tinubu nationally, they should be free to build relationships with alternative political blocs to protect their local interests.
The realignment has drawn interest in the North-Central, North-West, and North-East geopolitical zones. Another source suggests Wike is scheming to position a prominent North-Central PDP leader for a top role in 2031, with himself as a prospective running mate. This has sparked concerns among northern APC leaders who fear being sidelined in future presidential calculations.
Wike's comments in a live television interview on Monday further stoked internal party tensions, as he dismissed the senatorial ambition of Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, asserting that the South-East would not produce either the Senate President or the Vice President in the next political cycle. Wike has previously accused Uzodimma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of working against his coalition's mobilization efforts.
Political analyst Dr. Ayeni Ishola warned that the ruling APC and the Presidency must handle the crisis with care, saying Wike's actions may cause the party to lose many parliamentary seats in the forthcoming polls. An official of the party said the issue of Wike's Rainbow Coalition would soon be resolved once the party's chairman returns from vacation.
Key points
- APC governors are holding talks with opposition figures amid growing influence of Minister Nyesom Wike's Rainbow Coalition.
- The Rainbow Coalition's campaign strategy urges electors to vote for President Tinubu while backing opposition candidates in state and legislative elections.
- Wike's actions may cause the APC to lose many parliamentary seats in the forthcoming polls, according to political analyst Dr. Ayeni Ishola.
