APC State Chapters Reject Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, Demand Clarity on 2027 Support

Several state chapters of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have rejected the Rainbow Coalition being promoted by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, with some party leaders urging him to formally join the ruling party if he is committed to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

 

The development follows renewed disagreements between Wike and APC governors over the political structure being assembled by the FCT minister ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 

Wike remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, but was appointed FCT minister by President Tinubu after the 2023 election. He has also declared support for Tinubu’s second-term bid while maintaining that his political activities are not an APC project.

 

The controversy intensified after Zamfara State Governor and APC governor, Dauda Lawal, called on Wike to choose between joining the APC and remaining with the Rainbow Coalition.

 

Speaking on Channels Television’s Inside Sources, Lawal said APC governors wanted Wike to clearly define his political position.

 

«“Be on one side. You can’t be on two sides. If you’re in APC, please come out and support APC. Not you’re supporting APC here, and you’re supporting other political parties somewhere else. It doesn’t make sense,” Lawal said.»

 

Asked whether the governors wanted Wike to join the APC, Lawal replied, “Exactly. What’s the essence?”

 

He also said he would raise the matter with President Tinubu.

 

The position has received support from several APC state chapters, although some have welcomed Wike’s support for Tinubu without insisting that he join the party.

 

In Imo State, APC Publicity Secretary Jones Onwuasoanya said Wike should formally identify with the ruling party if his support for Tinubu was genuine.

 

«“If Wike is sincere about his support for President Tinubu, then he should join the APC and begin to campaign for our party across all positions rather than being selective,” he said.»

 

The Gombe APC also called on Wike to complete his political transition, with its Publicity Secretary, Murtala Usman, warning that the coalition could create confusion within the ruling party.

 

In Ondo, APC Secretary Alex Kalejaiye rejected an arrangement in which the coalition would support Tinubu for president while backing candidates from other political parties for legislative and governorship positions.

 

«“To us in Ondo State, support for the candidates of the ruling party must be total,” Kalejaiye said.»

 

The Kwara APC Chairman, Sunday Fagbemi, similarly questioned how the proposed arrangement would work when presidential, senatorial and House of Representatives elections are conducted on the same day.

 

He said APC members were expected to support the party’s candidates across the ballot.

 

The Plateau APC Chairman, Rufus Bature, said the party had no knowledge of a Rainbow Coalition structure in the state, but added that Wike was free to join the APC.

 

«“If he wants to join the APC, he is free to do that because we don’t stop people from joining our party. But he cannot be APC in the morning and PDP in the night,” Bature said.»

 

In Nasarawa, APC Publicity Secretary Augustine Ogaba said the party appreciated Wike’s support for Tinubu but would prefer him to become a recognised member of the APC.

 

However, not all APC chapters have taken a position.

 

The Osun APC spokesman, Kola Olabisi, said the question of whether Wike should join the party was a matter for the national leadership.

 

Similarly, the Delta APC Chairman, Solomon Arenyeka, said the state chapter was waiting for a formal position from the national leadership.

 

In Bayelsa, APC chieftain Doubara Joseph urged Wike to join the ruling party if he was committed to Tinubu, while the state APC Chairman, Warman Ogoriba, declined to comment.

 

Wike, however, has rejected the argument that his Rainbow Coalition is an APC structure or an attempt to undermine the ruling party.

 

Through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the minister maintained that the coalition’s support was specifically for Tinubu’s presidential re-election and did not prevent other political parties from fielding candidates for governorship and legislative elections.

 

Wike has also argued that his position is consistent with the political arrangement before the 2023 presidential election, when he and other members of the G5 supported Tinubu without joining the APC.

 

He has repeatedly maintained that “politics is local” and that political actors should be allowed to determine their alliances at the state level.

 

The position differs from that of several APC governors and state chapters, who argue that support for Tinubu should be accompanied by support for APC candidates contesting other positions.

 

Meanwhile, Minister of Works David Umahi said there was no Rainbow Coalition in Ebonyi State and maintained that any political candidate backed by Wike would not be part of the existing political arrangement in the state.

 

The debate has exposed differing views within Tinubu’s political camp over whether support for the President in 2027 can be separated from support for the APC and its candidates at other levels of the election.

 

While several APC chapters are demanding that Wike formally join the ruling party, others have left the matter to the party’s national leadership. Wike, on his part, continues to maintain that his coalition is focused on supporting Tinubu’s presidential bid while allowing political actors to pursue separate alliances at the state level.