A growing controversy in Nigerian politics has led Minister of Works David Umahi, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, and APC chieftain Farouk Aliyu to challenge FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over his proposed Rainbow Coalition and recent criticisms of APC members. Wike's coalition aims to mobilize support for President Bola Tinubu's re-election, but some APC members see it as a threat to the party's interests. Umahi, a former Ebonyi State governor, has declared that there is no Rainbow Coalition in Ebonyi State.
Umahi's statement is significant given his past political history with Wike. The two men were PDP governors, but their relationship strained in 2019 after Wike referred to Umahi as "Buhari's man." Umahi later defected to the APC in 2020, citing injustice to the South-East by the PDP. Despite this, Umahi now describes Wike as his "friend and brother" while maintaining a clear political boundary against the Rainbow Coalition in Ebonyi. Umahi also warned politicians against inflammatory rhetoric during campaigns.
Before Umahi's statement, Lawal had challenged Wike to clarify his political allegiance. Lawal argued that Wike cannot simultaneously support the APC and candidates of other parties. He emphasized that the APC governors would maintain their position and that Wike's status would be raised with President Tinubu. Lawal effectively asked Wike to choose between being in the APC or out.
The disagreement has drawn a sharp response from Aliyu, who criticized Wike's description of some APC governors as "politically lazy" and "419ners." Aliyu argued that such language is unacceptable to APC members and warned that the party would not allow Wike to reproduce the kind of crisis associated with his political battles in the PDP. Aliyu called on President Tinubu to intervene and engage Wike and other party leaders.
Wike has defended his position, saying his support is specifically for Tinubu's presidential re-election and does not require opposition parties to abandon their candidates in other contests. He has also argued that his position is similar to the role played by the PDP's G5 governors in the 2023 presidential election. However, the Progressive Governors Forum has rejected any arrangement that could weaken the APC.
The controversy places Wike in a delicate political position, as he remains a PDP member while serving in an APC-led Federal Government and openly campaigning for Tinubu's second-term bid. The disagreement has expanded beyond governors to other influential party figures, with some calling for Wike to make his allegiance clear.
The latest developments suggest that the disagreement over Wike's Rainbow Coalition has moved beyond a simple dispute between Wike and the APC Governors' Forum. Key players, including Umahi, Lawal, and Aliyu, have taken a stance against Wike's coalition, while Wike continues to insist that his objective is to secure Tinubu's re-election through a broad, cross-party platform.
Key points
- Umahi, Lawal, and Aliyu challenge Wike's Rainbow Coalition and criticisms of APC members.
- Wike defends his position, citing support for Tinubu's re-election.
- The controversy exposes divisions within the APC and Wike's delicate political position.
