A former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Farouq Aliyu, has accused Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of political arrogance amid the growing disagreement between the minister and APC governors ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Aliyu made the remarks on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, while reacting to Wike’s recent criticism of APC governors and the party’s position on political alliances ahead of the elections.
The disagreement followed comments by Wike in which he described APC governors as “politically lazy” while discussing political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections.
His remarks came after the APC Governors’ Forum declared that its members would not participate in, support or endorse any political alliance or arrangement capable of undermining President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid, weakening the APC or adversely affecting the party’s candidates.
The position was announced by the Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, following a closed-door meeting of the governors in Abuja.
Uzodimma said the governors’ campaign commitment would remain focused on APC candidates at all levels of the 2027 elections, adding that the forum would not support arrangements that could create divided loyalty or competing interests within the party.
Reacting to the dispute, Aliyu said Wike’s approach amounted to arrogance and urged political actors to exercise restraint.
“Arrogance is not good in politics. We are not trying to be arrogant to the Nigerian people, but that’s what we think Wike is bringing,” Aliyu said.
He acknowledged Wike’s previous political actions in support of the APC-led government but maintained that the party would not allow itself to be used to rebuild the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“We appreciate what he did for us, and anybody that is willing to destroy his party for us, we welcome him, like Wike tried to destroy his party.
“Now, we will not allow him to also use our party, the APC, to build his own party, the PDP. He cannot come through the back door in the name of support for President Tinubu,” he said.
Aliyu also called on President Tinubu to intervene in the disagreement between Wike and APC leaders, warning that the dispute should not become a distraction for the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
The disagreement also drew a strong response from Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, who said he was not intimidated by political arrangements allegedly being discussed ahead of the 2027 elections.
Nwifuru spoke at a political event in Abakaliki on Wednesday while responding to the ongoing exchanges involving Wike and APC governors.
The governor also dismissed claims that President Tinubu had allegedly agreed to hand Ebonyi State to the PDP and Wike ahead of the 2027 elections.
“This sentiment came out on the grounds that some people are going around saying that they discussed with Mr President that he has given Ebonyi to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
“They also said that the President has given Ebonyi to their leader, Nyesom Wike. We sympathise with them,” Nwifuru said.
He added: “I want to sound this way as your governor that we are not afraid. We have all it takes to destroy whoever is trying us.”
The remarks add another dimension to the increasingly public exchanges between Wike and members of the APC ahead of the 2027 elections, with the APC Governors’ Forum maintaining its stated position that its members will support the party’s candidates while Wike continues to advocate his political coalition.
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