The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum has drawn a firm line against political alliances that could weaken the ruling party or undermine its candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The governors resolved that they would not participate in, support or endorse any political arrangement capable of jeopardising President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term or adversely affecting APC candidates at other levels of the elections.
The position could pose a significant challenge to the emerging “Rainbow Coalition” associated with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who has been mobilising politicians across party lines in support of Tinubu’s re-election.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has consistently maintained that the coalition is not intended to work against Tinubu or the APC.
Rather, he has described it as a broad political movement bringing together politicians from different parties with the primary objective of securing Tinubu’s victory in the 2027 presidential election.
The APC governors, however, appear to be drawing a distinction between supporting Tinubu’s presidential bid and backing candidates who could contest against APC candidates in governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and other elections. The governors reached the resolution after a closed-door meeting in Abuja.
Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, announced the decision, stressing that APC governors remained committed to the party and would not participate in arrangements that could create divided loyalty.
“The APC governors forum unanimously resolved that its members will not participate in, support, or endorse any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining the reelection of Mr. President, weakening the APC, or adversely affecting any candidate of the party at all levels,” Uzodimma said.
The position reflects growing concerns within the APC over the implications of a coalition that could support Tinubu for president while backing candidates from other political parties in elections at the state and federal levels.
For example, supporters of such an arrangement could be expected to vote for Tinubu as president while supporting a non-APC candidate for governor, senator or member of the House of Representatives.
The APC governors fear that such a voting pattern could weaken the party’s candidates and political structures across the states.
Wike has, however, pushed back against criticism of his political activities, arguing that his support for Tinubu should not prevent him from working with politicians outside the APC.
During a media engagement in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the FCT minister accused Uzodimma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of working against his political activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
“You see, the problem with people, they want them to be seen, that they are the people working for the President. I don’t do that,” Wike said while discussing his disagreement with some APC governors.
He specifically accused Uzodimma and AbdulRazaq of being unhappy with his political activities, alleging that AbdulRazaq had been leading opposition against him in Kwara State.
“Take for example, Kwara, he has been the one championing this campaign against me everywhere. Yes, I have confronted him too. I don’t talk about what I cannot defend,” Wike said.
The emerging political arrangement has brought together politicians from different platforms, including the PDP, APC, Labour Party and Action Alliance in Rivers State.
Wike has said members of the coalition would collectively decide on candidates for some elective positions.
However, he disclosed in May that the coalition had yet to decide who would contest the Rivers State governorship election under its platform.
“The Rainbow Coalition, we have not chosen who will be the governor of Rivers State,” Wike said.
He has maintained that the coalition’s principal decision so far is its support for Tinubu’s re-election.
At the national level, however, the arrangement has continued to generate concerns among APC stakeholders, particularly over how coalition supporters would vote where candidates backed by the group belong to different political parties.
Wike has repeatedly defended the coalition, saying he would not allow politicians such as Atiku Abubakar or Peter Obi to defeat Tinubu in the presidential election.
In August, he said a “larger rainbow coalition” was emerging around Tinubu, suggesting that the political movement could continue to expand beyond existing party boundaries.
The latest resolution by the APC governors underscores the growing political tension over how the proposed coalition will operate in 2027 and whether support for Tinubu can coexist with support for candidates competing against the APC at other levels of the elections.
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