Wike defends Rainbow Coalition, dismisses APC govs’ fears
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has defended the Rainbow Coalition backing President Tinubu’s re-election, dismissing fears it could divide the APC. Read More:…
Nyesom Wike, a former opposition governor who crossed over to serve as FCT Minister under President Bola Tinubu, has become one of the most prominent faces of the "Rainbow Coalition" — a grouping of politicians from different parties who have rallied behind Tinubu's re-election bid ahead of 2027. The coalition's emergence has stirred unease within sections of the ruling All Progressives Congress, with some state governors reportedly wary that absorbing defectors and allies from rival parties could dilute internal party structures, upset existing power-sharing arrangements, or spark fresh contests for influence within the APC.
Wike's intervention, insisting the coalition is permanent and beyond reversal, underscores his growing clout within Tinubu's political camp despite remaining officially outside the APC. Both Punch and Vanguard report his defiant remarks, with Vanguard highlighting his direct quote that the coalition "has come to stay" and there is "nothing anybody can do about it," while Punch frames the story around his dismissal of APC governors' fears of division. Neither outlet details which specific governors raised objections or what concrete concerns they voiced, leaving the scope and seriousness of the internal APC pushback unclear.