2027 Election: Division Rocks APC Over Governors’ Feud With Wike
- The rift between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and some APC governors has divided the party's 31 state chief executives into rival camps
- Governors Fintiri, Eno, Okpebholo, Sanwo-Olu and Ododo are reportedly sympathetic to Wike, while Uzodimma, AbdulRazaq and others oppose him
- Several undecided governors are waiting for President Tinubu's return before picking a side in the escalating dispute
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - A power struggle inside the All Progressives Congress (APC) has fractured the party's 31 serving governors into opposing blocs, with the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, at the centre of the storm.
As reported by Vanguard on Thursday, September 24, a senior party source said the divisions were not total, noting that Wike still maintains friendships with some governors, forged during his time as a state chief executive.
Source: Twitter
The source said:
"I can tell you that not all the governors are opposed to the minister. Many of them were his friends before now. The minister was a governor too. Even if everyone turns against him, you know that he has the Adamawa governor and some others with him."
Governors Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Monday Okpebholo of Edo, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, and Ahmed Ododo of Kogi are said to be sympathetic to Wike's position. On the other side, Progressive Governors' Forum (PGF) Chairman and Imo governor Hope Uzodimma, Nigerian Governors' Forum (NGF) Chairman and Kwara governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Kaduna governor Uba Sani, and Ogun governor Dapo Abiodun are reported to be firmly against the minister. A third group of governors remains uncommitted, reportedly waiting for President Bola Tinubu's return before taking a clear stance.
What sparked Wike–APC governors split
The PGF, at a closed-door Abuja meeting chaired by Uzodimma, resolved that APC governors would support only official party candidates in the 2027 elections, refusing to back any candidates fielded by outside alliances. This was a direct challenge to Wike's Rainbow Coalition project. The governors argued that fielding candidates on rival platforms would confuse voters and potentially harm Tinubu's re-election bid.
Wike, however, rejected the claim that his coalition threatened APC unity, and alleged that the opposition from Uzodimma and AbdulRazaq was driven by personal interests, including what he described as Uzodimma's bid for the Senate Presidency. He has also publicly challenged AbdulRazaq over claims that the minister was trying to seize control of Kwara's legislature.
Wike reveals 2027 strategy, defends 2023 tactics
Speaking after inspecting several FCT road projects, Wike disclosed that a fresh strategy had been mapped out ahead of the 2027 elections to counter former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
He also defended the G5 bloc's conduct during the 2023 presidential election, saying the group had deliberately encouraged South-South voters to back Obi in order to cut into Atiku's support base.
"Our strategy was, make sure that you vote for Obi to win in order to deny Atiku the votes," he said.
Source: Twitter
Wike ruled out backing any challenger to Tinubu in 2027.
"After supporting President Tinubu in 2023, it will be wrong of me to support another person to face him when he is seeking re-election," he said, while insisting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remained free to contest sub-national elections.
The minister made these remarks when PDP Board of Trustees Chairman, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, led a delegation to condole with him over the death of the party's National Vice Chairman, South-South, Dan Orbih. Ohuabunwa said the visit was also meant to encourage Wike to stay the course.
"We are here to solidarise with him, encourage him and tell him to remain focused. Because everything he's been saying about the party is nothing but the truth," he said.
Read more on Wike
- Wike vs Fubara: Governor's top ally speaks on Rivers politician contesting against Tinubu in 2027
- Tensions grow in Rivers as Wike, Fubara’s supporters clash, baby hurt, details emerge
- Rivers crisis thickens as pro-Wike, Fubara lawmakers hold parallel sittings
Wike vows to raise opposition's blood pressure
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Wike said his mission ahead of the 2027 elections is to ensure that opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi, remain politically unsettled and under pressure.
The FCT minister insisted there is currently no credible, organised opposition in Nigeria, saying internal divisions within the PDP had left the political landscape without a clear frontrunner to challenge President Tinubu.
Source: Legit.ng
