APC Chieftain Urges Tinubu to Embrace Wike’s Rainbow Coalition Ahead of 2027

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osita Okechukwu, has urged President Bola Tinubu to embrace the Rainbow Coalition promoted by Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike ahead of the 2027 elections.

Okechukwu, a former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, made the call in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, as disagreement over the coalition continues between Wike and governors elected on the APC platform.

The APC chieftain alleged that some governors supporting Tinubu’s re-election lacked the capacity to mobilise voters in their states. He described them as “Few Pretender Governors” and argued that their concerns about Wike’s coalition should have been handled through the party’s internal structures.

The dispute centres on Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, which the FCT minister says is intended to mobilise support across party lines for Tinubu’s re-election. Wike has maintained that supporting Tinubu at the presidential level does not prevent the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from fielding candidates for governorship and legislative elections.

The position has drawn opposition from the Progressive Governors Forum, chaired by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma. The APC governors said they would not support any political arrangement capable of weakening the party or affecting APC candidates at any level in the 2027 elections.

Okechukwu, however, argued that Wike’s mobilisation efforts should be viewed separately from the interests of APC governors. He said allowing the minister to mobilise additional support for Tinubu would not necessarily amount to disregarding the governors.

He also cited Wike’s role in the 2023 presidential election and argued that the former Rivers State governor could help attract votes in areas where APC political structures may face challenges. These claims are Okechukwu’s assessment and have not been independently established.

The disagreement has continued to generate competing positions within the governing political camp. Wike has defended the coalition as a cross-party mobilisation platform, while APC governors have emphasised their commitment to APC candidates at all levels.

Meanwhile, the APC Presidential Campaign Council has called on Wike and the governors to tone down their public exchanges and focus on grassroots mobilisation. Campaign spokesperson Ima Niboro said the disagreement should not overshadow the shared objective of supporting Tinubu’s 2027 campaign.