Tension as APC governors may back Tinubu's rivals if Wike’s attacks on leaders continue
APC governors weighed alternatives for 2027 as Wike’s attacks deepen party tensions, putting Tinubu’s re-election bid at risk and awaiting presidential action now.
The Legit.ng report focuses on growing tensions within the All Progressives Congress (APC) over FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s political activities ahead of the 2027 elections. According to party sources cited by the report, some APC governors and influential party figures are unhappy with Wike’s criticism of governors and his promotion of the Rainbow Coalition, which supports President Bola Tinubu for the presidency while backing candidates from other parties in state and legislative contests. Governors including AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara and Hope Uzodimma of Imo have been particularly involved in the dispute. Uzodimma, as chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, has said APC governors remain committed to supporting APC candidates, while Wike maintains that supporting Tinubu does not require him to support APC candidates at every other level.
The political significance of the dispute lies in the competing interests it exposes within the governing coalition. Some APC stakeholders are reportedly considering alternative political relationships if they believe Wike’s activities threaten their own electoral positions, with separate reporting identifying Atiku Abubakar’s ADC as one option being discussed by some aggrieved governors. Other APC figures argue that Tinubu needs to manage both Wike and the governors because support from politicians outside the APC has become part of the administration’s broader political strategy. The report therefore presents the disagreement as an unresolved contest over how presidential, governorship and legislative interests will be balanced ahead of 2027, with party leaders reportedly looking to Tinubu to mediate the tensions. These are claims and assessments from political actors and unnamed sources, rather than evidence of a confirmed decision by APC governors to abandon the party or support another presidential candidate.