Wike names three APC Governors opposed to his rainbow coalition

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has named three All Progressives Congress (APC) governors he alleged are opposed to his Rainbow Coalition Movement.

Wike made the claim on Monday while appearing as a guest on TVC News’ Journalist’s Hangout.

The former Rivers State governor is a prominent figure in the Rainbow Coalition, a multi-party political arrangement supporting President Bola Tinubu’s bid for re-election in 2027.

The coalition has faced opposition from APC governors under the aegis of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), who have described the arrangement as a political move that could undermine the party and its candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

The PGF is chaired by Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, who has secured the APC ticket to contest for the Imo West senatorial seat, despite his tenure as governor being scheduled to end in January 2028, several months after the inauguration of the 11th National Assembly in June 2027.

Speaking during the programme, Wike alleged that Uzodimma, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun were opposed to the Rainbow Coalition for “selfish reasons.”

He further suggested that other APC governors who participated in the PGF meeting against the coalition had no reason to oppose it, arguing that they did not face the same political challenges he attributed to the three governors.

“Let me tell you what’s going on. Governor Hope Uzodimma, Governor of Kwara, Mr AbdulRazaq, Governor Dapo Abiodun and some of them who have their own problems and cannot solve their own internal problems think that they can muscle me because they said I am going to support Mr President (in 2027) and therefore, PDP will not have their candidates,” Wike said.

The FCT minister alleged that the governors were concerned that the coalition could affect their ability to secure victory for their preferred APC candidates for the Senate and House of Representatives in the 2027 elections.

According to Wike, some politicians, including serving federal lawmakers, obtained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) tickets after allegedly being denied APC tickets by the governors.

He claimed that the governors were worried that those politicians could work against their political interests if they eventually win their respective elections on the PDP platform.

Wike argued that it was preferable for such politicians to join the PDP, which he described as an opposition party supporting President Tinubu, rather than the African Democratic Congress (ADC) or the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), which he said are opposed to the President.

“These people came to take refuge in (PDP), a place that is supporting Tinubu, and you (governors) are angry.

“If they had gone to the ADC or NDC — who are frontally opposed to Mr President — is that what they want?” he asked.