Several state chapters of the All Progressives Congress have outrightly rejected the “Rainbow Coalition” currently being promoted by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Party leaders across various states are mounting pressure on the former Rivers State governor, insisting that he must formally defect to the ruling party if he is truly committed to ensuring President Bola Tinubu’s re-election. These chapters argue that a politician cannot selectively support the APC at the presidential level while simultaneously backing rival candidates for governorship and legislative seats under other party banners.

This pushback highlights a brewing confrontation between Wike and APC governors, who are fiercely protective of the party’s official structures ahead of the 2027 general elections. The governors view Wike’s parallel political alliance as a potential threat that could divide party loyalty and dilute their electoral strength during critical, simultaneous voting exercises. Consequently, ruling party stakeholders are demanding total institutional alignment, challenging the minister to pick a definitive side rather than maintaining strategic cross-party arrangements.

The controversy stems from Wike’s unique and highly unorthodox position as a key leader within the opposition Peoples Democratic Party who simultaneously serves in an APC-led federal government. Despite having fiercely contested the presidential ticket under the PDP banner, he was appointed FCT minister by President Tinubu in the aftermath of the 2023 elections. This political duality continues to fuel suspicion within the ruling party, prompting state chairmen to demand a full, formal defection to clear up questions surrounding his ultimate political allegiance.

A widening rift has emerged within the President’s political camp regarding the strategic organization and mobilization of support for his 2027 re-election campaign. The primary point of contention centers heavily on who should control the vital political structures tasked with rallying the electorate. While some stakeholders favor traditional internal mechanisms, others are pushing for alternative platforms, creating a power struggle over ownership of the campaign architecture ahead of the next general election.

The latest dispute was explicitly triggered by Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal . Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the prominent ruling party executive directed a firm ultimatum at the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike . Lawal insisted that the minister must make a definitive choice between formally integrating into the All Progressives Congress or continuing to operate through his independent “Rainbow Coalition” cross-party platform.

This confrontation highlights a broader discontent among APC governors who refuse to tolerate fluid, cross-party arrangements. Governor Lawal, aligning with his colleagues under the Progressive Governors Forum, argued that it is politically contradictory to back the ruling party at the presidential level while simultaneously supporting rival candidates in state-level legislative and gubernatorial contests. Consequently, the governors are demanding absolute, institutional party loyalty from all high-profile political actors seeking to campaign for the President’s second term.

Speaking in an interview with Channels Television’s Inside Sources on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Lawal said the position of the APC governors was unchanged.

“Our message is very, very clear: Be on one side. You can’t be on two sides. If you’re in APC, please come out and support APC. Not you’re supporting APC here, and you’re supporting other political parties somewhere else. It doesn’t make sense. It’s not done anywhere,” Lawal said.

The Zamfara governor added, “And that is why we maintain our stand, and it is very clear—the message is very clear. He can speak, he can say whatever he wants to say, but our position has been very, very clear: APC all the way from head to toe.”

Asked whether the governors were asking Wike to join the APC, Lawal responded, “Exactly. What’s the essence?”

He further disclosed that he intended to raise Wike’s political position with President Tinubu.

“It’s something that I will take up with the President when he comes back. So, let there be a very, very clear line where this guy belongs to. It’s either he’s in APC or he’s out. It’s simple. And I go with my brothers, the governors,” Lawal stated.

In Imo State , the local chapter of the All Progressives Congress has taken a firm stance against Nyesom Wike , accusing the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory of attempting to maintain an ambiguous and opportunistic political position . Speaking to The PUNCH , the Imo State APC Publicity Secretary, Jones Onwuasoanya , strongly urged the former Rivers State governor to drop his political hesitation and formally identify with the ruling party. Onwuasoanya emphasized that political decency requires individuals who claim loyalty to a party’s philosophy and programs to fully align themselves with that institution rather than engaging in strategic, cross-party maneuvering.

The ruling party’s spokesman directly questioned the authenticity of the minister’s commitment to the presidency, demanding absolute clarity over selective support. He noted that if the FCT Minister is genuinely sincere about his backing for President Bola Tinubu, he should formally join the APC ranks. By doing so, Wike would be expected to campaign comprehensively for the party across all elective positions rather than cherry-picking his political battles.

Furthermore, the Imo APC dismissed Wike’s burgeoning “Rainbow Coalition” as an irrelevant political structure with zero influence or footprint within the state. Onwuasoanya clarified that as far as the ruling party in Imo is concerned, the coalition holds no weight, reasserting that the APC remains the sole viable political platform capable of securing the state’s electoral future.

“As long as the All Progressives Congress in Imo State is concerned, there is nothing like a Rainbow Coalition or whatever it might be called. The APC is the only viable political platform in Imo State and Imolites are fully aligned with us,” he said.

He maintained that the party was confident of victory in 2027, saying, “There is no political arrangement or structure outside the APC that poses any threat to our Party’s electoral chances.”

In Gombe, the APC Publicity Secretary, Murtala Usman, similarly urged Wike to complete his political transition to the ruling party.

“My opinion is the same as the people who are advising him to join APC because APC doesn’t need any rainbow coalition for now,” Usman said.

He warned that such an arrangement could create confusion within the ruling party.

“That rainbow coalition will cause some confusion in the APC because those who are stakeholders in the APC, particularly in some states, will find it very difficult to handle,” he stated.

Usman argued that recent defections of PDP governors to the APC had already created difficulties for some long-standing party members.

“So Wike should switch to APC completely. Since he is doing the work of APC, let him be a full member, not a partial member,” he said.

The Ondo State APC also rejected the idea of a coalition that would support Tinubu for president while backing candidates from other parties in other elections.

The state party secretary, Alex Kalejaiye, said the arrangement was unacceptable to the chapter.

“We are disturbed that the coalition would only support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the general elections, but field candidates for other positions,” he said.

According to him, APC’s objective was to deliver all its candidates and not just the presidential candidate.

“To us in Ondo State, support for the candidates of the ruling party must be total; our party is committed to mobilising votes for the President, three senatorial, nine representatives, and 26 House of Assembly candidates. That is not negotiable,” Kalejaiye stressed.

He warned that supporting different parties on the same ballot could create confusion for voters and potentially complicate the electoral process.

The chapter therefore appealed to Wike to collapse the coalition into the APC.

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