Some leaders of the All Progressives Congress and aggrieved governors are weighing their political options ahead of the 2027 presidential election amid the deepening rift between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and some APC governors.
Sources within the APC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some party leaders and governors were unhappy with Wike’s political activities and his recent criticisms of members of the party.
One of the sources claimed that some APC stakeholders were considering supporting alternative presidential candidates if the disagreement was not resolved.
The source said, “Many of them are looking at alternatives. The governors, including some critical party leaders, are considering the fact that Wike has claimed that he has the power to deliver the President, even more than the number of governors supporting the President.
“If Wike continues along that line, many of them are already considering the option of supporting other candidates against Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Another APC source said party leaders were expecting Tinubu to intervene before the disagreement escalated.
The source said some leaders viewed Wike’s activities as a growing concern because of his criticism of APC governors and his political support for candidates outside the party.
The dispute has been linked to Wike’s promotion of the Rainbow Coalition, which he has said is aimed at supporting Tinubu’s presidential bid while backing candidates of other parties in state and legislative elections.
Wike has also clashed with some APC governors, including Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma.
Uzodimma, who chairs the APC Progressive Governors’ Forum, said APC governors would not support any alliance capable of undermining Tinubu’s re-election or weakening the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said the governors remained committed to campaigning for APC candidates across all levels.
Wike, however, maintained that supporting Tinubu for the presidency did not require him to endorse APC candidates in other elections, insisting that he was entitled to support candidates of his choice.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, urged Wike to support the party’s presidential candidate, Senator Sandy Onor, instead of Tinubu.
Mohammed said the PDP would welcome Wike’s support, arguing that it would strengthen the party’s effort to challenge the Tinubu administration in 2027.
Reacting to the political realignments, the Tanimu Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee’s Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, described the Wike-backed PDP group and the APC as “pretenders.”
He accused the groups of taking Nigerians for granted through the Rainbow Coalition and said the PDP would continue to position itself as an opposition party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls.
However, a senior APC source said the party was awaiting Tinubu’s position before deciding on its next course of action.
The source said, “For now, the party cannot do much about the matter. It is only the President who can intervene. The President will have to reach out and intervene between the governors and the minister.”
Former APC Organising Secretary, Eze Duru, said Tinubu would need the support of governors and other political actors ahead of the 2027 election.
Duru said the administration had relied on support from politicians outside the APC and would continue to seek support from different political interests.
A former President of the Nigerian Political Science Association, Professor Hassan Saliu, also said Tinubu needed to carefully manage his relationship with Wike and the governors.
Saliu said political disagreements within the ruling party could create difficulties if not properly managed, adding that the President would need to maintain relationships with both Wike and the governors ahead of the 2027 election.
