The political coalition being promoted by Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 is increasingly exposing divisions within the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as disagreements over candidates and party loyalty intensify.
What began as an arrangement to support Tinubu’s presidential ambition while allowing politicians to retain their affiliations and pursue other electoral interests is now generating friction between Wike and APC governors, while unsettling party structures in states where the coalition is building its own political networks.
The disagreement has become particularly pronounced within the APC, whose governors rejected the arrangement from the outset, insisting that support for Tinubu must go hand in hand with support for the party’s candidates at all levels.
Hope Uzodimma, Imo State governor and chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, had earlier said the governors would not participate in any arrangement capable of weakening the APC or undermining its candidates.
“The APC Governors Forum unanimously resolved that its members will not participate in, support or endorse any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining the re-election of Mr President, weakening the APC or adversely affecting any candidate of the party at all levels,” Uzodimma said after a meeting of the governors in September.
The position directly challenged Wike’s argument that politicians from different parties could support Tinubu at the presidential level while retaining the freedom to back candidates of their choice in governorship, legislative and other elections.
The minister has defended the coalition as an independent political platform, arguing that it does not require members to join the APC or abandon their parties. He has also accused APC governors of resisting the arrangement because of their local political interests.
The disagreement has placed Tinubu in a difficult position, as he seeks to retain Wike’s support while keeping APC governors, who control the party’s structures in their states, on board.
Rivers shows the problem
The coalition’s activities in Rivers State, Wike’s home state, illustrate the extent to which the arrangement is moving beyond presidential mobilisation into the distribution of political tickets.
Last week, the Rivers Rainbow Coalition unveiled a list of candidates it intends to support across the APC and PDP for the 2027 elections. Tinubu was adopted as its presidential candidate, while the coalition endorsed Ogundu Kingsley Chinda and Major Jack on the APC platform for governorship and deputy governorship.
It also adopted APC candidates for the Rivers West and Rivers East senatorial districts, while endorsing Olaka Johnson Nwogu of the PDP for Rivers South-East.
The coalition’s list extends to the House of Representatives and the Rivers State House of Assembly, with candidates drawn from both parties. Several constituencies are allocated to APC candidates, while others are assigned to PDP candidates.
The arrangement underscores Wike’s strategy of building a political platform that cuts across party lines but also raises questions about how the APC and PDP will accommodate candidates backed by a coalition whose priorities may conflict with their official nominations and campaign structures.
Suspicion spreads to other states
The tension is not limited to Rivers. In Nasarawa State, the APC has been hit by internal controversy following the inclusion of Kabiru Dallah, the Zenith Labour Party candidate for Lafia/Obi Federal Constituency, in the state’s governorship campaign council.
The appointment triggered allegations of a political understanding between the APC leadership in the state and Wike’s Rainbow Coalition. Some party members questioned why a candidate of another party was included in a council expected to mobilise support for APC candidates.
Yarus Daguza, the Nasarawa APC secretary who signed the campaign council list, denied any alliance with the coalition and said Dallah’s name had been removed.
“We have deleted the name of Kabiru Dallah. Nasarawa APC is not a member of the Rainbow Coalition,” he said.
The controversy has nevertheless deepened discontent among some party members, with aggrieved supporters calling on Governor Abdullahi Sule to review the campaign council and ensure that it reflects the interests of party stakeholders.
The developments expose a wider problem for the APC: while the party seeks to consolidate support for Tinubu, its governors and state structures are concerned that a coalition operating outside its control could undermine their candidates and political influence.
The PDP faces a different but related challenge. Wike remains a prominent figure in the party even as he supports Tinubu’s re-election and mobilises politicians across party lines. The coalition’s endorsement of candidates from both the APC and PDP in Rivers further illustrates how its political interests may not align with the official ambitions of either party.
The dispute is therefore becoming more than a disagreement over support for Tinubu. It is a contest over who controls the political structures, candidates and electoral mobilisation that will shape the 2027 elections.
Taofeek Oyedokun is a correspondent at BusinessDay with years of experience reporting on political economy, public policy, migration, environment/climate change, and social justice. A graduate of Political Science from the University of Lagos, he has also earned multiple professional certificates in journalism and media-related training. Known for his clear, data-driven reporting, Oyedokun covers a wide range of national and international socioeconomic issues, bringing depth, balance, and public-interest focus to his work.
