Several state chapters of the All Progressives Congress have rejected the Rainbow Coalition being promoted by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, urging him to formally join the ruling party if he wants to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
The development follows growing disagreement between Wike and APC governors over the political structure being built ahead of the 2027 elections.
Wike, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, has said the coalition is focused on mobilizing support for Tinubu’s presidential bid and does not prevent the PDP or other parties from fielding candidates for governorship and legislative elections.
However, the Progressive Governors Forum, the platform of APC governors, has rejected political arrangements it believes could weaken the party or its candidates.
The dispute escalated after Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal told Wike to choose between joining the APC and remaining with the Rainbow Coalition.
Speaking to Channels Television’s Inside Sources in New York, Lawal said Wike could not support Tinubu while backing candidates from other political parties.
“Be on one side. You can’t be on two sides,” Lawal said, adding that the APC governors would maintain their position. He also said he would raise the matter with Tinubu.
The position has received support from several APC state chapters.
In Imo, APC Publicity Secretary Jones Onwuasoanya said Wike should join the party if he was committed to supporting Tinubu and should campaign for APC candidates at all levels.
The Ondo APC also rejected the coalition, saying the party’s support for Tinubu must extend to its candidates contesting the Senate, House of Representatives and state assembly elections.
Kwara APC Chairman Sunday Fagbemi questioned how the coalition would work when presidential and legislative elections are held on the same day, while Plateau APC Chairman Rufus Bature said his state chapter had no knowledge of any Rainbow Coalition structure.
In the South-East, APC leaders in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states also backed the Progressive Governors Forum’s position and rejected the coalition.
Not all APC chapters, however, have opposed Wike outright.
The Jigawa APC said it welcomed his support for Tinubu and would receive him if he chose to join the party. In Benue, party figures expressed differing views, with one faction supporting Wike’s formal defection while another said he should remain in the PDP.
Some chapters have declined to take a position, saying the matter should be decided by the national leadership.
In Osun, APC spokesman Kola Olabisi said the decision on Wike’s membership was beyond the state chapter, while the Delta APC said it was awaiting a formal position from the national leadership.
Wike has continued to defend the coalition, insisting that his support is for Tinubu’s re-election and not an alliance with the APC.
He has also rejected claims that the coalition is intended to weaken the ruling party, arguing that members of different political parties can support Tinubu for president while backing their preferred candidates in other elections.
The disagreement now centres on whether support for Tinubu in 2027 can operate separately from support for APC candidates in other elections, with APC leaders insisting on a unified party structure and Wike maintaining his cross-party approach.
