The lawmaker representing Abia North Senatorial District, Orji Uzor Kalu, has weighed in on the ongoing political disagreement between the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors Forum and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The development comes amid tensions over Wike’s reported Rainbow Coalition, which some APC governors have opposed over concerns that its plan to field candidates in several states could conflict with their political interests.
Wike has also stated that his support is for President Bola Tinubu rather than the APC as a political party.
Reacting to the development in a post shared on his Facebook page, Kalu said he understood the position of governors who would resist efforts to sponsor alternative candidates against them in their respective states.
According to the former Abia State governor, he would equally oppose such a move if he were in their position.
“Some governors have a very good case. I cannot be a governor and you are sponsoring an alternative candidate in my state. I will not allow that to happen,” Kalu said.
However, Kalu urged both sides to set aside their differences and work together in support of President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
He appealed to the APC governors and Wike to avoid an escalation of their disagreements, stressing the importance of both sides to the ruling political structure.
“I appeal to the governors as Minister Nyesom Wike, who used to be governor. We should not quarrel at this time of our campaign. Campaign is not done in Abuja, so we should go back to the grassroots,” he said.
Kalu further called on both parties to de-escalate the dispute, noting that the APC Governors Forum and Wike each have political strengths that could be useful to the administration.
“Both parties should pull their swords back. We need the governors’ forum very well, and we also need Minister Wike very well.
“I think the governors have their own strengths and Minister Wike has his own strengths too,” he added.
The comments come as political alignments and negotiations ahead of the 2027 general elections continue to shape relationships among key figures within Nigeria’s governing political camp.