2027: APC Governors Reject Wike’s ‘Rainbow Coalition’, Minister Insists Support Is Only For Tinubu

 

By Abel Chigozie 

The All Progressives Congress Governors’ Forum has distanced itself from the “rainbow coalition” being promoted by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that the party remains committed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election.

The governors’ position came as Wike clarified that while his support for Tinubu’s second-term bid remains unwavering, he never promised that the Peoples Democratic Party would not field candidates in governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly elections.

Wike made the clarification in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka.

The former Rivers State governor explained that the rainbow coalition had nothing to do with the APC, describing it instead as a platform through which politicians from different parties could mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election.

“I will mobilise support for the re-election of the President. I never promised anyone that PDP will not field candidates to contest governorship, National Assembly and States House of Assembly elections,” Wike said.

He added that his support was specifically for Tinubu at the presidential level, while political parties remained free to pursue their interests in other electoral contests.

The minister also said he would not assist politicians to win elections in their respective states, urging those facing local political challenges to resolve them without using Tinubu’s re-election to create unnecessary sentiments.

“Politics is local and those having problems in their states should resolve them instead of using the re-election of the President to whip up sentiments,” he said.

Wike recalled that he and other members of the G5 governors supported Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election without first reaching an agreement with the APC.

He argued that the 2023 elections demonstrated that voters could support one party for president and another for legislative positions without confusion.

He cited Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi states, where APC candidates won some National Assembly seats despite Tinubu recording significantly different results in the presidential election.

“If in 2023, the voters in Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi voted APC in the senatorial election and voted another party in the presidential election, they won’t be confused in 2027 provided we all support the President genuinely this time?” Wike asked.

The minister urged political stakeholders to place the presidential election ahead of other contests, saying, “after the President must have been reelected, we can all go and face elections in our States.”

However, the APC Governors’ Forum has maintained that its members would not participate in, support or endorse any political arrangement capable of undermining Tinubu’s re-election, weakening the APC or adversely affecting its candidates.

The governors also rejected any arrangement that could create confusion, divided loyalty or competing interests within the ruling party.

The contrasting positions have further highlighted the emerging political realignments ahead of 2027, with Wike insisting that his cross-party mobilisation for Tinubu should not be interpreted as an alliance between the rainbow coalition and the APC.