The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria is grappling with an internal crisis due to the growing influence of Minister Nyesom Wike, who is not a member of the party. Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has been making directives that are affecting the party's operations. He recently lampooned the 31-member Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), who had gone to Osun State to campaign but came back with nothing. Wike's actions have raised concerns among APC leaders, particularly the 31 governors, who feel that his influence is threatening their political progress.
Wike's control over a group called the Rainbow Coalition has further complicated the situation. According to Wike, the Coalition will support only President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 election, while the APC's senatorial, House of Representatives, and Houses of Assembly candidates will have to contend with the Coalition's candidates. This arrangement has sparked fears among APC leaders that it could spell doom for the party. The 31 APC governors argue that Wike's plan would give him undue influence and create internal conflicts within the party.
The APC governors and other leaders of the ruling party are wondering how they found themselves in this situation. They are questioning how Wike, who walked casually into their homestead, is now calling the shots. The Yoruba law, which states that a stranger (Àjèjì) cannot take over a person's home, seems not to be holding water in this circumstance. To understand the situation, it is essential to examine what those before them said about the circumstances that led to Wike's growing influence.
The elders of the APC say that before a man marries a woman with a hunchback, he must first map out the method he will adopt to be able to sleep with her. Similarly, what were the rules of engagement for a convenient benevolence between Wike and the APC? What conditions did the APC governors set before Wike was allowed to ruin the PDP for the APC in 2023? If the APC governors had no conditions then, or were not privy to any, would it be right for them to start setting new conditions for Wike now?
There is no denying the fact that Wike has no iota of respect for the APC governors. Many Nigerians equally don't have too! Wike appears not to have respect for anybody, including President Tinubu himself. If Wike respects President Tinubu, there is no way the FCT Minister will be this contemptuous of the APC governors the way he carries on. The minister cannot claim to respect the President but despise or hold the President's friends in low esteem; that does not appear logical.
It is not clear why President Tinubu is not calling Wike to order. Wike, no matter how powerful he is today, can only be at one polling unit on the day of the election. So, where is his sense of ubiquity coming from? Why is President Tinubu looking the other way while Wike rubbishes every other person in the APC? The President's inaction has raised concerns that Wike may be becoming more powerful than the President himself, gradually.
The situation has sparked concerns about the potential dangers of Wike's growing influence. If Wike destroyed the PDP for Tinubu's APC, who told the President that he and his party can trust Wike? Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State expressed similar concerns, saying that the situation is confusing. As the 2027 elections approach, the APC will need to address these internal conflicts and determine the best course of action to take.
Key points
- Wike's growing influence within the APC despite not being a member has raised concerns among party leaders.
- The 31 APC governors are worried that Wike's plan for the Rainbow Coalition could spell doom for the party.
- President Tinubu's inaction in addressing Wike's actions has sparked concerns that Wike may be becoming more powerful than the President himself.
