Some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are reportedly considering alternative political options ahead of the 2027 presidential election amid growing disagreements over the activities of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Sources within the ruling party said Wike’s continued criticism of some APC governors and his involvement in the Rainbow Coalition were creating tension among party stakeholders.
The sources claimed that some governors, particularly those of Ogun, Kwara and Imo states, were unhappy with Wike’s political activities and feared they could affect President Bola Tinubu’s re-election efforts.
Wike, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) serving in the APC-led Federal Government, has been promoting the Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State while publicly declaring his support for Tinubu’s 2027 presidential ambition.
However, Wike has maintained that supporting Tinubu for president does not require him to support APC candidates in other elections.
The former Rivers State governor recently alleged that Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma were behind some of the political challenges facing him.
Uzodimma, who chairs the APC Progressive Governors’ Forum, subsequently stated that APC governors would not support any alliance capable of undermining Tinubu’s re-election or weakening the party ahead of 2027.
An APC source claimed that some governors and party leaders were now considering other political options because of their disagreement with Wike’s activities.
“Many of them are looking at alternatives,” the source said, alleging that some stakeholders were considering supporting other candidates if Wike’s political activities continued to cause divisions within the party.
Another source described the disagreement as a potential challenge for Tinubu’s 2027 campaign and said some party leaders were expecting the President to intervene before the situation escalated.
However, former APC Organising Secretary Eze Duru said Tinubu’s political strategy involved building support beyond the APC.
Duru said politicians from different parties and political backgrounds had supported the administration and argued that Wike’s support for Tinubu was part of the broader political arrangement.
He said the President would need the support of APC governors, party members and politicians from other parties to pursue his 2027 electoral ambition.
Duru added that Tinubu would likely seek to unite the various political interests supporting his re-election bid rather than allow disagreements among them to undermine the broader political arrangement.
