Wike Gains Support from Disgruntled APC Leaders

A growing number of angry All Progressives Congress members and former party leaders are joining the Rainbow Coalition led by Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. This move is increasing tensions within the ruling party as the 2027 general elections approach.

Sunday PUNCH learned that many APC members who have left the party or are unhappy with its internal workings have backed Wike’s coalition.

The Progressive Governors Forum, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, called the coalition a threat to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election on Monday.

This situation has stirred up debate. Some APC members sided with the governors while others supported Wike.

A national leader of the APC, who asked to remain anonymous, told Sunday PUNCH that the Rainbow Coalition serves as an option for unhappy APC leaders and extends President Tinubu’s plans for re-election.

He said many APC leaders are siding with Wike due to how the governors managed the party’s primaries. “Wike has the support of the President on his Rainbow Coalition. It is an alternative platform for upset APC members who might want to join the ADC (African Democratic Congress). Instead of going to the ADC, they prefer to join the PDP, where they will get a ticket or recognition, with promises to work for Tinubu.

“Anyone who leaves the APC for ADC is seen as an enemy. But if you join PDP, led by Wike, you are not a threat. PDP or Wike’s Rainbow Coalition is an extension of the APC.

“Wike is taking care of the national leaders of the APC. He is generous and also delivering projects. The President is happy with him. Many APC leaders support him, and don’t be surprised if the number of APC governors decreases in 2027. Wike is playing a very good game,” he said.

Another APC official, who also wished to stay anonymous, mentioned that leaders upset about the primaries are determined to support the President and may not back the party’s candidates in their states.

He insisted that Tinubu’s victory is the main focus for the party. He added that the candidates and those who put them forward should handle the party’s matters to ensure their success.

“The victory of Mr President in next year’s election is our major concern. What Wike and the APC governors are doing is of minor importance because, in the past, some people who felt cheated by their governors during the primaries have joined Wike.

“Wike is a strong supporter for Mr President’s re-election, so how can we work against him? The governors should have managed the post-primary issues better.

“The governors think they have the power to decide who gets what ticket. Other party members who feel cheated also have the right to ally with anyone who will protect their interests. The ultimate goal is for Tinubu to win a second term,” he said.

Sunday PUNCH found that unhappy APC leaders from at least 10 states have left to join Wike’s PDP.

States like Kwara, Gombe, Cross River, Osun, Katsina, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ogun, Jigawa, and Ondo have seen prominent APC figures defect to the PDP after losing out in the party’s nomination processes or having disputes with their state leaders.

In Kwara, leaders like Dr Tajudeen Olesin and others from The Otoge Progressives have shown their support for Wike’s coalition.

Olesin told Sunday PUNCH on Saturday that he joined Wike’s Rainbow Coalition after facing mistreatment in Kwara APC politics. He called the conflict between Wike and the APC governors technical, saying the governors want no opposition in their states.

“The issue is highly technical. Our President has never complained about Wike’s coalition. Some governors asked Wike not to field candidates in their states, including Kwara. Is that democracy? Why are you afraid of opposition?

“If you have done well for your people, why would you fear opposition? Any governor who has performed well should not worry about opposition,” he said.

Olesin described the Rainbow Coalition as an alternative platform to help win for Tinubu. He said, “I contested under APC and left to join Wike’s camp, and he welcomed me. In PDP, we agreed that we don’t have a presidential candidate; we are supporting Tinubu. If we give him our votes and the APC brings its votes, that adds up to strong support instead of losing our votes to another party. So, what are the governors afraid of?”

Besides Olesin, Senator Saliu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central, has also left the APC for the PDP, calling Wike’s coalition an alternative platform.

Other APC members who have switched to the PDP in Kwara include two state House of Assembly members, Saba Gideon and Olushola Odetundun.

In Osun, Senator Olubuyi Fadeyi left the APC after losing his return ticket and secured the PDP ticket with Wike’s backing.

In Katsina, two House of Representatives members, Shehu Tafoki and Shehu Dalhatu, also left the APC for the PDP.

Sunday PUNCH learned that an ex-APC leader in Ondo State, Idowu Mafimisebi, who lost the party’s ticket for Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency, has joined the PDP along with an aspirant for Ondo South Senatorial District, Matthew Oyerinmade.

In Ogun State, a former House of Assembly aspirant, Mustapha Owolabi, defected from the APC to the PDP.

Other notable APC members who have left the party for the PDP include former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, and former Gombe South APC senator, Anthony Yaro.

Olesin explained that the governors are opposing Wike due to personal ambitions, especially from Uzodinma and Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq.

He claimed Uzodinma wants to become the Senate President in 2027 while Wike supports the current Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

“What is happening is that Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, wants to be the Senate President in 2027, while his governorship ends by 2028. He plans to resign, give the governorship seat to his deputy, become a senator, and contest for Senate President.

“But Wike said he couldn’t support someone from the South-East. If Asiwaju returns as President, then Godswill Akpabio should remain Senate President. That is why Uzodinma and the Kwara State Governor are fighting Wike,” he said.

The Special Adviser on Party Affairs to the Kwara governor, Mashood Alaka, accused Wike of trying to build a political structure to prepare for the 2031 presidential race.

Alaka said Wike is using the coalition and support for Tinubu’s re-election to form alliances with politicians across party lines, especially governors, for the next presidential cycle.

Alaka also said Wike’s actions contradict his position of seeking support from APC politicians while remaining a PDP member and backing candidates from the opposition party.

“What Wike told the APC governors, especially AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Hope Uzodinma, is out of line. He is a former governor and knows how things work.

“The whole coalition idea is to mislead the APC into thinking he is on their side. Everyone knows he has his own plans and is trying to win over some governors for 2027 ahead of 2031 to strengthen his chances for the presidency,” he said.

Alaka suggested that Wike should either stay in the PDP or join the APC to work within its framework.

He also questioned why Wike would support Tinubu while backing opposition candidates for the National Assembly.

“If you want to stay in the PDP, stay there. If you want to work with the APC, do that.

“If he is genuinely supporting Mr President, he shouldn’t be running candidates for the National Assembly. If Mr President wins and his party is in the minority in the National Assembly, it will create problems in the end,” Alaka added.

He stated that the APC can secure Tinubu’s re-election without Wike’s coalition.

Alaka dismissed worries that political coalitions could threaten the APC in the state, claiming the AbdulRazaq government has enough support to deliver the party’s candidates in 2027.

Meanwhile, Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media to the FCT Minister, rejected claims that Wike is positioning himself for the 2031 presidential run.

Olayinka, speaking with Sunday PUNCH on Saturday, said Alaka’s statement shows a misunderstanding of the power rotation politics between the North and South.

He noted that by 2031, the South would have completed eight years in power if Tinubu wins a second term, making it hard for the presidency to stay in the South under the rotation system.

“By 2031, the South would have finished its eight years, so how can the presidency stay in the South after that? This shows they don’t understand the situation,” Olayinka said.

He explained that one reason Wike backed Tinubu in 2023 was to support having a Southern president, and his support for the President’s 2027 re-election aims to maintain that arrangement for eight years before power returns to the North.

Olayinka also dismissed Alaka’s claim that Wike’s support for Tinubu while in the PDP could cause issues for the President if the APC doesn’t secure a majority in the National Assembly.

He said the National Assembly’s makeup and who becomes its leaders will depend on the party that wins the majority after the election.

“It is the party that produces the majority in the Senate that will have any Senate President, and we have not had an election yet,” he said.

He added that discussing who will be Senate President is premature as it will ultimately be decided by elected senators and their political party.