Some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have revealed moves by some party’s stakeholders to seek alternative political options ahead of the 2027 presidential election over the political activities of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Sources within the APC, who spoke anonymously to newsmen, said Wike’s continued criticism of some APC governors and his activities through the Rainbow Coalition were creating tension within the ruling party.
According to the sources, some APC leaders, particularly governors in Ogun, Kwara and Imo states, are unhappy with Wike’s political activities and believe his approach could undermine President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to secure re-election.
Wike, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party serving in the APC-led Federal Government, has been championing the Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State while publicly declaring support for Tinubu’s presidential bid.
However, the former Rivers State governor has maintained that his support for Tinubu does not mean he must support APC candidates in other elections.
Wike recently alleged during a media chat that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara and Governor Hope Uzodimma were behind some of the political difficulties confronting him.
He attributed their opposition to the Rainbow Coalition to concerns over the coalition’s growing influence and its support for politicians seeking elective positions against APC candidates.
Uzodimma, who chairs the APC Progressive Governors’ Forum, subsequently said APC governors would not support any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining Tinubu’s re-election or weakening the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said the governors remained committed to campaigning for APC candidates at all levels.
An APC source said the situation had become a source of concern among party leaders, alleging that some governors and stakeholders were now contemplating alternative political options because of their disagreement with Wike.
The source said, “Many of them are looking at alternatives. The governors, including some critical party leaders, are considering the fact that Wike has claimed that he has the power to deliver the President, even more than the number of governors supporting the President.
“If Wike continues along that line, many of them are already considering the option of supporting other candidates against Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Another source described Wike as a potential threat to Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, arguing that the minister’s political confrontations with some governors could create opposition to the President within the APC.
The source said some party leaders were waiting for Tinubu to intervene before the disagreement escalated.
“Some of them are looking up to the President to act speedily and nip the matter in the bud. If it is not addressed, some of them may simply watch from afar as the election unfolds, and that could have serious implications for the President in 2027,” the source said.
The source added that the APC National Working Committee was unlikely to take decisive action without direction from Tinubu, recalling that previous attempts by party officials to intervene in the Rivers political crisis involving Wike had produced complications.
“For now, the party cannot do much about the matter. It is only the President who can intervene. The President will have to reach out and intervene between the governors and the minister,” the source said.
However, former APC Organising Secretary, Eze Duru, said Tinubu had a political strategy that involved securing support beyond the APC.
Duru said the President would need the backing of governors, APC members and politicians from other parties to pursue his 2027 electoral ambition.
He said the administration had, from its inception, accommodated politicians from different political backgrounds, including members of the PDP, Labour Party, APGA and Accord Party.
Duru added that Wike’s support for Tinubu was therefore part of the broader political arrangement around the President.
“We have always known that Mr Wike has committed himself to supporting the President, and we will require all such support,” he said.
“Governors are expected to work with the President, particularly where they share the objective of ensuring his electoral success. The same applies to other interest groups that are not members of the APC but want the President to win the election.
“So, the President understands the game and will work to unite all of them to work for his victory, and not for anyone else.”
COURTESY: PoliticsNigeria
