APC Governors Reject Nyesom Wike's Rainbow Coalition for 2027

The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and South-East leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have formally rejected a proposed Rainbow Coalition led by Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike. During a closed-door meeting in Abuja, PGF Chairman and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma declared that APC governors will exclusively support official party candidates to avoid divided loyalties that could undermine President Bola Tinubu's 2027 re-election bid.

Wike, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defended the coalition as a multi-party platform to mobilize support for the president based on performance. He rejected demands that supporters of the president must also back APC candidates for state and legislative seats, labeling the governors politically lazy. Wike clarified that he never promised to join the APC and maintains that voters can distinguish between presidential and local contests.

The dispute has divided the ruling party. While the PGF and South-East APC leaders characterized Wike's efforts as reprehensible, other APC figures, including lawmaker Abdulmumin Jibrin, described Wike as a critical asset who has made significant sacrifices for the party. The APC Presidential Campaign Council has urged President Tinubu to intervene, describing the rift as a quarrel among political siblings. Meanwhile, the PDP has defended Wike's right to support the president while maintaining his party membership, dismissing the governors' concerns as a political miscalculation driven by fear of poor governance records.