APC Group Disagrees with Wike on Rainbow Coalition Ahead of 2027 Elections

A group that supports the All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the reasons given by the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, for his promotion of the Rainbow Coalition before the 2027 elections.

The APC Grassroots Organisation claims that Wike's goal is to weaken the ruling party, just like he did to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the 2023 elections with the G-5 alliance.

Mukhtar Rabiu, the chairman of the organisation, made these claims in a statement on Sunday. He warned that the coalition could harm President Bola Tinubu’s chances for a second term.

Rabiu urged APC leaders not to support Wike’s coalition as a rival campaign structure for Tinubu. He said that this coalition could cause division in the APC, similar to the issues it caused in the PDP.

Rabiu said, "Wike has polarised the PDP governors, bought over the party leadership, and attacked major PDP organs, leading to the destruction of the party. Just as he did with the PDP in the past, using lackeys from Kano and Edo states, the same script is being played all over again; this time in the APC."

Wike, who is a member of the opposition PDP and is part of the APC-led federal government, has been in conflict with APC governors over his Rainbow Coalition. He claims the coalition aims to gather support for President Tinubu’s re-election.

The coalition began in Rivers State, where Wike was governor, and has since spread to other regions of Nigeria.

However, APC governors, represented by the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), have opposed the coalition. They see it as a political move that could weaken the party and its candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

These governors and other APC leaders have also accused Wike of using the coalition to back politicians who lost the party’s primaries and are now contesting elections on the PDP ticket.

The Forum, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, rejected the coalition, stating that the governors would not support any political arrangement that threatens the party and its candidates in the 2027 elections.

In response to these claims, Wike accused the governors of opposing the coalition because they fear losing their elections. He also criticized how they have performed in their states.

The PDP, Wike's party, has also joined the discussion, supporting his efforts to mobilise support for Tinubu's re-election despite choosing Sandy Onor as its presidential candidate for the January 2027 election.

The APC South-east caucus has also rejected Wike's coalition. They asked him to apologize to the governors for his comments about their political abilities and their opposition to his Rainbow Coalition.

The APC national leadership has not stated whether it supports Wike’s coalition, leaving people wondering how the party will handle the conflict between the minister and the governors.

The APC Grassroots Organisation also dismissed claims that Wike’s G-5 alliance played a significant part in Mr Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 presidential election.

Rabiu pointed out that if the G-5 members were as politically strong as claimed, some would not have lost their elections.

He stated, "It is instructive to note that the only one among the now defunct G-5 that won elections democratically in the 2023 race was the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who broke ranks with Wike."

He added, "In fact, Ikpeazu, Ortom, and Ugwuanyi were known to have lost their polling units, wards, and local governments. Even Wike allegedly lost his local government and Rivers State before the controversial and disputed Rivers State presidential election result was presented."

Rabiu then questioned, "Where then, is his self-acclaimed street credibility besides dishing out insults and making outrageous claims?"

The G-5 was a group of five PDP governors that formed after the party’s presidential primary in May 2022. This group included Wike, who was then the Governor of Rivers State, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, along with Benue, Abia, and Enugu governors.

Wike had contested the PDP presidential primary but lost to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The relationship between the two groups worsened after Atiku chose Ifeanyi Okowa, then Delta State Governor, as his running mate instead of Wike.

This conflict expanded into the leadership of the PDP. Wike and his allies demanded the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, stating it was unfair for both the presidential candidate and national chairman to be from the same region, the North.

They maintained that Ayu, a northerner from Benue State, should step down and be replaced by someone from the South. This demand became the main issue around which the five governors united.

In September 2022, Wike and his allies intensified their opposition by withdrawing from Atiku’s Presidential Campaign Council. They also stayed away from the inauguration of the council, causing further division in the PDP before the 2023 election.

The five governors later held meetings nationwide and became known as the G-5. In November 2022, they formally operated under the name Integrity Group, with other PDP leaders participating in their meetings.

The G-5 insisted on Ayu’s removal and refused to support Atiku’s campaign unless their demands were met. While they engaged in state-level political activities, their refusal to support Atiku’s campaign became a major part of the PDP’s 2023 election campaign.

Wike later defended the alliance, stating the five governors aimed to protect the interests of the country and the party. He also rejected any attempts to break up the group.

Rabiu said they welcome Wike’s support for Tinubu’s second-term bid but insisted that his coalition should not be treated as another campaign structure.

He stated, "An individual or support group must not be allowed to function as a parallel party structure simply because they support the President."

Rabiu warned that Wike’s claim that the coalition is not an APC structure shows a potential conflict of interest, especially if it creates competing political interests in states where APC governors are expected to campaign for both Tinubu and other APC candidates.

He added, "Support President Tinubu. But do not expect APC governors to surrender their governors, senators, House members, Assembly candidates, or party structures to Wike’s faction of the PDP."

The APC Grassroots Organisation argued that the party's existing structures in the states are enough to support Tinubu’s re-election campaign.

They also questioned why Wike is supporting Kingsley Chinda, his preferred candidate for governor of Rivers State, to run on the APC platform instead of the PDP if the coalition is strong enough to win elections.

Rabiu asked, "Why did Wike not field Chinda as the PDP candidate if he truly had faith in his so-called Rainbow Coalition?"