The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has stated that the party will manage the political face-off between its governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, through dialogue, maturity, and mutual respect. Yilwatda said the APC's priority was to maintain party unity, respect the democratic rights of all political actors, and remain focused on the 2027 elections.
The face-off between the APC governors and Wike followed the governors' rejection of any political alliance or arrangement that could undermine the party or its candidates in the 2027 elections. The governors, led by the chairman of the Progressive Governors' Forum (PGF) and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, said they would support only candidates officially sponsored by the APC.
Uzodimma stated that the governors would neither participate in, support nor endorse any alliance capable of weakening the party or adversely affecting its candidates. The governors' declaration was widely viewed as a response to Wike's Rainbow Coalition, which the FCT minister has said was focused on mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu's re-election rather than supporting APC candidates in other elections.
Wike has maintained that his support for Tinubu does not amount to abandoning the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stressing that he remains free to support candidates of his choice in other contests. He also criticised the APC governors for opposing the coalition, describing them as "politically lazy" and arguing that supporting a presidential candidate should not prevent political parties from fielding candidates in governorship and legislative elections.
The development unfolded while the APC national chairman was away on a two-week overseas vacation, returning earlier last week. Reacting to the disagreement, Yilwatda said political differences were normal in a democracy and could be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
Yilwatda described the situation as a difference in political perspective rather than an issue that should be allowed to become a distraction. He emphasised that the party would manage the situation through dialogue and maturity, ensuring that the party remains united and focused on its goals.
The APC national chairman's stance was conveyed through his special adviser on media and information strategy, Abimbola Tooki, in Abuja. Yilwatda's approach aims to maintain party unity and ensure that the APC remains a dominant force in Nigerian politics, with a focus on the 2027 elections.
Key points
- The APC will manage the face-off between its governors and Wike through dialogue and maturity.
- The party's priority is to maintain unity and focus on the 2027 elections.
- Wike's Rainbow Coalition has sparked controversy within the APC.
