Some stakeholders within the All Progressives Congress (APC) are reportedly considering alternative political options ahead of the 2027 presidential election amid the growing disagreement between Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and some APC governors.
According to a report by Punch published on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, some APC leaders and governors are said to be concerned about Wike’s political activities and his growing confrontation with members of the party’s Governors’ Forum. The development comes as Wike continues to promote the Rainbow Coalition while maintaining his support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid.
The dispute has intensified in recent days following disagreements over the political activities of Wike and the Rainbow Coalition, which the FCT minister has described as a platform for mobilising support for Tinubu across political parties.
Wike has maintained that supporting Tinubu for president does not prevent members of the coalition from backing candidates from other parties in governorship, National Assembly and state assembly elections.
However, the APC Governors’ Forum has taken a different position. The governors previously declared that they would not support political alliances or arrangements capable of weakening the APC, undermining Tinubu’s re-election or adversely affecting the party’s candidates.
APC Leaders Express Concern Over Wike
Sources cited by Punch claimed that some APC leaders, including governors, were unhappy with Wike’s criticism of members of the Governors’ Forum and his approach to the emerging political alliance.
One source alleged that governors in Ogun, Kwara and Imo states were particularly concerned about the situation, alongside other influential figures within the ruling party.
The source further claimed that some stakeholders were considering alternative political options if the dispute continued, alleging that they were uncomfortable with what they perceived as Wike’s attempts to diminish the political influence of APC governors.
The claims have not been independently confirmed, and the individuals cited by the newspaper spoke anonymously.
The source also expressed concern over the absence of a public intervention from President Tinubu, saying some APC stakeholders were waiting for the President to address the disagreement between Wike and the governors.
Wike Names Governors Opposing Rainbow Coalition
The latest disagreement follows comments by Wike in which he identified Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun as governors opposed to his political activities.
Wike questioned why some governors were travelling to Abuja to complain about the Rainbow Coalition and argued that several other APC governors had no problem with the political arrangement.
He specifically mentioned governors from Adamawa, Edo, Kogi, Lagos and Akwa Ibom as governors who, according to him, had no issue with the coalition.
Uzodimma, who chairs the APC Progressive Governors’ Forum, has meanwhile maintained that APC governors are committed to the party and its candidates ahead of the 2027 elections. The governors’ position has highlighted the growing difference between the party’s formal structures and Wike’s broader political coalition.
Wike Maintains Support for Tinubu
Despite the disagreement with some APC governors, Wike has repeatedly stated that he supports Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
The minister has also rejected suggestions that the Rainbow Coalition is an alternative APC structure, arguing that the group is intended to mobilise support for Tinubu while allowing participating politicians to pursue their preferred candidates in other elections.
This position has created a complicated political arrangement in which Wike, a prominent PDP figure serving in an APC-led Federal Government, is backing Tinubu for the presidency while maintaining political differences with some APC governors.
Tinubu Under Pressure to Manage Rift
Political analysts and party figures have called for careful management of the disagreement, with concerns that prolonged divisions could affect cooperation among different political interests ahead of 2027.
A former APC organising secretary, Eze Duru, told Punch that the President would need support from both APC governors and politicians outside the party as the election approaches. Political scientist Professor Hassan Saliu similarly argued that Tinubu would need to carefully manage his relationships with Wike and the governors.
For now, there is no public confirmation that any APC governor has formally decided to abandon Tinubu or support another presidential candidate. The reported consideration of alternatives remains based on claims from unnamed party sources.
The dispute nevertheless adds another layer to the political realignments taking shape ahead of the 2027 general elections, as the APC, Wike’s Rainbow Coalition and opposition groups continue to position themselves for the next electoral contest.