APC in southeastern Nigeria calls on Wike to apologize to governors — Premium Times Nigeria
Representatives of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in southeastern Nigeria have called on Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike to apologize to the party’s governors. The reason was his comments about the governors’ political capacity and their opposition to his Rainbow Coalition.
As Premium Times Nigeria reports, the statement was signed by APC National Vice Chairman for the South East Ijeoma Arodiogbu and the heads of party branches in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states. They said APC governors, particularly in the South East, had demonstrated their ability to mobilize support for President Bola Tinubu, including during the 2023 presidential election.
Dispute over the coalition
Wike is a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but holds a post in the APC-led government. According to the outlet, the Rainbow Coalition initially emerged in Rivers State, where Wike was previously governor, and later spread to other parts of the country. The minister says the coalition is intended to mobilize support for Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
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APC governors opposed the coalition, believing that this political alliance could harm the party and its candidates ahead of the 2027 election. The APC Governors’ Forum, chaired by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, also rejected the coalition for this reason.
Demand to retract remarks
APC representatives in the South East accused Wike of trying to influence the political prospects of the party’s governors ahead of the 2027 election. They also said that the minister has no authority over elected governors and should respect their political positions.
According to Premium Times Nigeria, Wike, for his part, accused the governors of opposing the coalition because they feared losing the election and criticized their performance in their states. The APC caucus representatives called on the minister to retract his remarks and apologize to the governors, and also declared support for the party’s candidates at all levels in the 2027 election.
