Wike vs APC Governors: Fayose Finally Breaks Silence
- Former Ekiti governor Ayo Fayose weighed in on the Rainbow Coalition row between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and APC governors
- APC governors led by Hope Uzodimma warned on Monday against any alliance that could weaken the party's candidates in 2027
- Wike doubled down on Tuesday, insisting the Rainbow Coalition was built to back Tinubu across party lines, not to rival APC structures
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Former Ekiti State Governor and Peoples Democratic Party chieftain Ayo Fayose has said the ongoing dispute over Nyesom Wike's Rainbow Coalition will not damage President Bola Tinubu's prospects in the 2027 presidential election.
Fayose shared his view as the coalition controversy continued to grow. He said what truly mattered was whether the coalition could deliver actual votes for Tinubu, especially in Rivers State, rather than which side of the political argument was winning.
Source: Twitter
"I sincerely don't want to join issues on these two sides," Fayose said on Channels Television's Politics Today on Tuesday, September 15, adding that the tension between Wike and the APC governors was largely driven by individual political interests and personal ego rather than a fundamental threat to Tinubu's re-election.
APC governors draw a line
The controversy sharpened after APC governors, speaking through the Progressive Governors Forum on Monday, distanced themselves from any political arrangement that could work against the party's candidates at any level. The forum's chairman, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, made clear that the governors' campaign efforts would be focused exclusively on APC candidates across governorship, National Assembly, and state Assembly contests.
Wike responded on Tuesday by reaffirming that the Rainbow Coalition was designed to bring together politicians from different parties behind Tinubu's presidential bid, and was not intended to function as a rival to the APC's internal machinery.
Fayose's reading of the 2027 stakes
Fayose argued that the political debate around 2027 should be understood within Nigeria's longstanding tradition of rotating power between competing interests, rather than as a straightforward battle between coalition supporters and the APC establishment.
He also noted that asking voters to support different parties for different offices under a Rainbow Coalition arrangement would produce varying results depending on the state, and that the strategy could not be judged by a single standard.
On Wike's own political position, Fayose said the FCT Minister had not publicly signalled any intention to back candidates beyond the presidential race while seeking to maintain his standing within the PDP. That distinction, he suggested, was important to understanding the nature and limits of the coalition.
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Wike criticises Uzodimma, defends Rainbow Coalition
Legit.ng earlier reported that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike hit back at Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma with sharp questions about President Tinubu's vote share in Imo during the 2023 elections.
Wike pointed out that Tinubu failed to win 10% of the vote in Uzodinma's own state, raising questions about what the governor's remarks mean for Imo voters.
The exchange adds fresh tension to the political rivalry between two prominent figures in the ruling party.
Source: Legit.ng
