Leaders of the All Progressives Congress, including some aggrieved governors, are considering their options ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with some party stakeholders reportedly weighing support for alternative presidential candidates amid concerns over the political activities of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Sources within the APC, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment on the matter, said many party leaders, including some governors, regarded Wike as a potential threat to President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, in an exclusive interview with our correspondent, urged Wike to support the party’s presidential candidate, Senator Sandy Onor, instead of backing Tinubu, saying his support would help bring the President’s administration to an end.

Reacting, the Tanimu Turaki (SAN)-led Interim National Working Committee’s Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, criticised the ongoing political realignments involving the Wike-backed PDP group, describing those involved as “pretenders.”

Another party source said the APC National Working Committee was awaiting President Tinubu’s position before deciding on its next course of action.

However, political analyst and former President of the Nigerian Political Science Association, Prof. Hassan Saliu, and former APC Organising Secretary, Eze Duru, said President Tinubu needed the support of Wike and state governors to reconcile the various interests within the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

They added that the ruling party had also depended on support from politicians and groups outside the APC.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and PDP leader serving in the APC-led Federal Government, Wike has been promoting the Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State in support of President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

Wike, who has clashed with some APC governors, recently alleged during a media chat that Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma were responsible for some of the political challenges he was facing.

He linked the governors’ opposition to the expanding influence of the Rainbow Coalition, which he said was providing a platform for politicians seeking to challenge APC candidates in governorship and senatorial elections.

Responding to the development, Uzodimma, who chairs the APC Progressive Governors’ Forum, said after the forum’s meeting last week that APC governors would not back any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining Tinubu’s re-election or weakening the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Uzodimma said the governors were committed to campaigning exclusively for APC candidates across all levels of government.

Wike, however, maintained his support for the Rainbow Coalition, arguing that the alliance was intended to back Tinubu’s presidential ambition while supporting the PDP in other electoral contests against the APC.

He insisted that supporting Tinubu for the presidency did not amount to endorsing APC candidates in the states, stressing that he remained entitled to support candidates of his choice.

The source said Wike’s continued media attacks and political activities against some APC governors were causing concern among leaders of the ruling party, with some governors and other stakeholders now considering alternative political options.

He stated, “As a member of the APC and somebody who understands how the governors work and what they have been doing, I know that the governors are not happy, especially the governors of Ogun, Kwara and Imo states. Other members of the party, including critical party leaders, are also not happy about the Wike matter. The way he goes around talking about people, party leaders and governors as if they have no influence or cannot have any impact on the 2027 election is quite discouraging.

“Many of them are looking at alternatives. The governors, including some critical party leaders, are considering the fact that Wike has claimed that he has the power to deliver the President, even more than the number of governors supporting the President.

“If Wike continues along that line, many of them are already considering the option of supporting other candidates against Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Other options are also available to them because they are unhappy about being disrespected and belittled by a minister serving in an APC-led Federal Government, despite being a member of the PDP. They are also concerned that the President is yet to make any remark or issue a directive on the matter.”

Another source said the governors and APC leaders were expecting President Tinubu to intervene and resolve the matter before it escalated further.

The source stated, “What I know is that APC leaders and other critical stakeholders consider Wike a threat to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election. This is because Wike had quite a lot of enemies before now because of this kind of politics, and he is transferring some of those enemies to the President. Even party members who ordinarily support the President are beginning to think otherwise because of their opposition to Wike.

“Wike has continued to go on television and other media platforms to criticise the governors and portray them as though they have no influence, followers or supporters capable of affecting the outcome of a presidential election. This is seriously becoming unbecoming, and many party leaders are not happy about it.

“Some of them are looking up to the President to act speedily and nip the matter in the bud. If it is not addressed, some of them may simply watch from afar as the election unfolds, and that could have serious implications for the President in 2027.”

Reacting, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, said the party hoped Wike would support its presidential candidate, Senator Sandy Onor, to bring an end to what he described as the political noise surrounding the 2027 election and the administration of President Tinubu.

Mohammed stated, “The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory is truly a political phenomenon. If there is any way we can persuade the minister to rescind his decision not to support our presidential candidate, Senator Onor, we would be glad to do so. However, we are only respecting his constitutional rights.

“If his romance with the President is constituting a double blockade for the PDP, the APC governors would not come out to call for an emergency meeting, have sleepless nights and express concern about a minister’s support for candidates in the PDP if they were not worried about the situation. So, we respect his decision. We also respect the fact that the party itself agreed that he should work for the President.

“We are not uncomfortable with the situation, although we wish he would come and give us his full support. If he does that, it will make it easier for us to defeat President Ahmed Tinubu. His lack of support, as it is now, will no doubt affect our chances. But that is not to say that we do not have what it takes to surmount the challenges and defeat President Ahmed Tinubu.

“We are in the election to win. We will roll out our campaign across the nooks and crannies of the country to ensure that Nigerians support our candidate.”

On his part, Ememobong described the Wike-backed faction of the PDP and the APC as “pretenders.”

He stated, “I am a Christian, and I believe in standing by the truth. These people are pretenders—the APC and the Wike group are pretenders. They do not mean well for Nigerians. We are happy to see their house in disarray. It is a fact that all of them are in the same boat, doing exactly the same thing. It is something they think they can use to deceive Nigerians.

“It is a fact that they are taking Nigerians for granted under their so-called Rainbow Coalition. These people are not principled. They flourish in confusion. But we can assure Nigerians that, as an opposition party, we stand for the ideals of opposition politics, and that is what we are going to uphold. If we choose to play the ostrich and take a gamble, then we will kill the essence of opposition politics.”

Efforts by our correspondent to obtain a reaction from the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls. However, a senior party source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the party was awaiting President Tinubu’s directive before deciding on its next course of action.

The source stated, “For now, the party cannot do much about the matter. It is only the President who can intervene. The President will have to reach out and intervene between the governors and the minister. The last time APC NWC leaders tried to intervene in the Rivers State affair and Wike, it boomeranged. This time around, they are all waiting for the President’s directive and body language.

“Once that happens, the NWC will know the next line of action and proceed accordingly. That is why, for now, it is difficult for anyone to come out openly to condemn, back, support or speak extensively about the matter.”

Former APC Organising Secretary, Eze Duru, in an exclusive interview with our correspondent, said President Tinubu had a clear political strategy, which he had been revealing selectively based on what he considered necessary.

He noted that the support of governors and other political actors would be important ahead of the 2027 elections.

Duru stated, “It is very clear that President Tinubu has a strategy mapped out for himself, and he has revealed that strategy on a need-to-know basis. What he considers necessary to disclose is what he believes will work for him.

“In reality, although it has not been officially described as a government of national unity, this administration has recognised the need to receive support from people who do not belong to the APC. These include members of other political parties, whether the PDP, Labour Party, APGA or, in the case of Osun State, the Accord Party.

“That has been the structure of the government from the beginning. People of different political persuasions who supported the government in the 2023 election were brought into the administration and, in some cases, given appointments. As we approach another election, that is also on the agenda. That involves the entire rank and file of the APC, as well as other supporters of the President.

“We have always known that Mr Wike has committed himself to supporting the President, and we will require all such support. Governors are expected to work with the President, particularly where they share the objective of ensuring his electoral success. The same applies to other interest groups that are not members of the APC but want the President to win the election. So, the President understands the game and will work to unite all of them to work for his victory, and not for anyone else.”

On his part, a former President of the Nigerian Political Science Association, Professor Hassan Saliu, said the President needed to carefully manage his relationship with Wike and the governors.

Saliu said politicians who felt excluded from their parties could seek alternative platforms, stressing that APC leaders should avoid internal disputes, ensure fairer processes and prevent disagreements from weakening support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

He stated, “The political situation has not given the party a clean slate, so the party needs to earn the confidence of the electorate. In that case, it would be unfortunate to dispense with Wike at this point in time. That is not to say Wike does not have his successes. But given his position in the APC, which is now alienating some supporters of the President, the matter needs to be handled with care.

“Go around the states controlled by the APC and, without manipulation or anything else, some of the governors may struggle to emerge victorious and deliver their states to the President. That is the concern. I am not sure the President will support Wike against his governors. He needs all of them, and he appears to be trying to bring everybody into the fold. He has not discarded the governors.

“However, I suspect that security reports may have informed the President that some governors can deliver their states while others may not. However, he won’t let any of them go or feel rejected or unwanted. I expect the President to use his influence to manage the situation carefully and unite all of them for his victory.”

Source: punchng.com

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The Ogun State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, on Monday unveiled his nine-pillar manifesto, tagged “ITESIWAJU for Ogun State”, calling for continuity in governance and development policies in the state.

Adeola, who is also the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation and represents Ogun West Senatorial District, cited Lagos State as an example of how successive administrations could build on the achievements of their predecessors to accelerate economic and infrastructural development.

The senator disclosed this in Abeokuta while meeting with members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council in the state.

He argued that the development recorded in Lagos since the return to democratic rule in 1999 was partly attributable to what he described as a relatively seamless transition from one administration to another.

Adeola said Ogun could experience similar multiplier effects if successive governments maintained and completed viable projects initiated by their predecessors instead of abandoning them for new ones.

According to him, Lagos’ development experience demonstrated the importance of policy continuity, noting that research on the state had documented how successive administrations since 1999 had worked on governance reforms, infrastructure, transportation, revenue generation and urban development.

The APC governorship candidate said that, if elected, his administration would continue viable infrastructure projects inherited from the current government rather than abandoning them because they were initiated by a previous administration.

The senator said discontinuity in government could delay development by several years, stressing that projects should be evaluated by their benefits to the people rather than by the political administration that initiated them.

He also called for an issue-based campaign ahead of the 2027 election, urging governorship candidates to clearly explain what they intended to do in the areas of youth development, women’s empowerment, industrialisation, agriculture, infrastructure, security, job creation and economic growth.

Adeola said, “If Lagos could achieve what it has achieved through seamless transition of government from one administration to another, we can begin to imagine the multiplier effects that continuity can bring to the economy and development of Ogun.

“People must be able to know what your plans are for the youth, the economy, women, industrialisation, infrastructure, contractors and agriculture. Where are you taking us to? People should judge us on those issues,” he said.

The lawmaker subsequently unveiled his proposed development agenda, tagged “Itesiwaju”, which he said was designed after extensive consultations and intended to address the needs of the state across multiple sectors.

He explained that the slogan, “Itesiwaju Ipinle Ogun”, meaning the progress of Ogun State, was built around a comprehensive development framework.

According to him, the acronym ITESIWAJU represents I — Infrastructure; T — Tourism and Culture; E — Economic Empowerment; S — Security and Welfare; I — Inclusive Growth and Well-being; W — Women, Youth and Poverty Eradication; A — Agriculture and Food Security; J — Job Creation and Industrialisation; and U — Urbanisation and Transparency.

He said the agenda was not designed merely as a vehicle for seeking political power but as a development framework intended to address what he described as the state’s needs across different sectors.

The senator added, “This is not a document put together for the sake of putting a document together. It is not a document put together to grab power.

“I put this document together with a sense of purpose. A document that took me three years to put together. It is a document meticulously crafted to attend to every need of everyone in this state.”

He revealed that the proposed agenda was developed from consultations with thousands of people across the state.

Adeola further maintained that the state possessed sufficient economic and human resources to become a model of development, saying his ambition was motivated by what he described as a desire to contribute to the state’s progress.

He urged other candidates and political parties to present their programmes to the electorate and allow voters to assess the competing plans ahead of the election.

He, therefore, dismissed the controversy surrounding his ancestral roots as mere political manoeuvring and what he described as the opposition’s desperation for power.

He said he remained focused on the development of Ogun State, insisting that he would not be distracted, intimidated or blackmailed by the controversy.

“My ancestral challenge is mere politics and desperation for power. I have a vision and believe in the development of this state, so I refuse to be bothered. I refuse to be blackmailed. Under my government, you must be eminently qualified to earn a position,” he said.

Speaking earlier, the Ogun State IPAC Chairman, Comrade Abayomi Sanyaolu, lauded the APC governorship candidate for what he described as his giant strides across the three senatorial districts of the state.

Sanyaolu cautioned all governorship candidates against heating up the polity with vulgar language and personal attacks.

He said, rather, that all candidates should present their manifestos to the electorate and focus on issue-based campaigns.

Source: punchng.com

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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Monday dismissed concerns by some governors of the All Progressives Congress that the proposed Rainbow Coalition could undermine the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout, Wike said the coalition was primarily aimed at mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election and would not prevent politicians from contesting governorship and legislative elections on their respective party platforms.

The minister alleged that the opposition of some APC governors to the coalition was driven by their political interests, particularly attempts to influence the emergence of the next Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Wike specifically alleged that Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma, was positioning himself to become Senate President after leaving office.

His comments came days after APC governors declared that they would not support any political alliance capable of weakening the party or affecting its candidates at any level in the 2027 elections.

Uzodimma, at a meeting of APC governors in Abuja, said the forum would exclusively support APC candidates and would not endorse candidates outside the party.

Wike, however, argued that supporting Tinubu for President did not amount to an agreement to abandon candidates of other political parties in governorship and legislative elections.

He cited the experience of the G5 governors during the 2023 elections, saying members of the group supported Tinubu for President while their parties retained their candidates for other elective positions.

“In 2023, core leadership G5, we said we are going to support Mr President. But we never said that all our candidates in other elections will fail. We never said so,” Wike said.

He added, “Particularly in Rivers State, we supported Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; he won the presidential election. But in National Assembly election and the state election, PDP won.”

According to the minister, a similar arrangement could operate in 2027, with politicians supporting Tinubu for President while backing candidates of their preferred parties in governorship and legislative contests.

He rejected claims that such an arrangement would confuse voters, arguing that Nigerians had previously demonstrated their ability to vote across party lines.

Wike said, “Who will be more confused? Is it not my own candidates that will even be more confused when I’ve told them to support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and then again, they now go back to support other candidates?”

The minister alleged that some APC governors were concerned that politicians denied tickets by the ruling party could seek alternative platforms, win their elections and subsequently refuse to support candidates favoured by the governors.

He said the governors were seeking to influence the composition of the next National Assembly in order to determine who would emerge as its presiding officers.

“APC in their ongoing party primaries, the governors, in their own wisdom, believe that they should be able now to put senators or House of Reps members who they will dictate to who will become the next Senate President or the Speaker,” he alleged.

Wike said politicians who lost APC tickets could defect to the Peoples Democratic Party or other opposition platforms, win their elections and subsequently refuse to support the candidate preferred by the governors for Senate President or Speaker.

“The fear now is that, if they run and they win, it means that they’re not going to support him to be the Senate President,” he said.

The FCT minister then directly addressed the reported ambition of Uzodimma to emerge as Senate President.

“Mr. President will be inaugurated by May 29. This man’s office will expire by January, February 2028.

“Now, he wants to leave his office to run for Senate. Now, what does that mean? He wants to run for Senate President. Now, what he does is to say to his colleagues, ‘Look, let us, the governors, be the ones that will produce the senators that will produce members of the House of Representatives.

“And of course, some of the governors are not experienced. They buy in, thinking it’s going to make them powerful, not knowing that he has his own interests, his own agenda, to become Senate President,” Wike said.

Wike insisted that he would not support the Imo State governor for the position.

“Life or death, I will never support a character of Hope Uzodimma to be the Senate President of Nigeria. Everybody knows that,” the minister stated.

He, however, maintained that his position was not personal, arguing that the political calculations surrounding the 2027 elections should be examined on their merits rather than reduced to a dispute between individuals.

Wike also alleged that some governors were putting pressure on him because of his decision to remain in the Peoples Democratic Party while supporting Tinubu’s re-election.

He maintained that his support for the President did not require the PDP to withdraw or abandon its candidates in other elections.

The FCT minister also dismissed reports that Tinubu had agreed to concede nine states to the PDP or the Rainbow Coalition as part of a political arrangement ahead of the 2027 elections.

Challenging those behind the claim to identify the states allegedly covered by the arrangement, Wike said, “The nine states, did they tell you the nine states?”

He added, “Let us help Nigerians. Let’s get the facts. Who are… which are those states? Tell us. That they said the President agreed with me that he has conceded nine states.”

Wike said his primary political objective was to secure Tinubu’s re-election, adding that he would campaign on the administration’s record.

He cited the President’s support for state police and what he described as the devolution of resources and powers to sub-national governments as some of the issues he would highlight in making a case for Tinubu’s re-election.

“Mr. President is showing his postcard. We are selling Mr. President what he’s been doing, why he should be re-elected,” he said.

Wike further disclosed that Tinubu was aware of the Rainbow Coalition, saying he did not expect the President to intervene by summoning members of the coalition and the APC governors for a truce.

According to him, Tinubu understood his political activities and had been aware of his position on the coalition.

“As I speak to you here, Mr. President knows about my concept, of the rainbow coalition…. Mr. President understands me very well,” Wike said.

He maintained that the coalition was not designed to take over or weaken the APC, arguing that politicians could support Tinubu for President while retaining their preferred party candidates for governorship and legislative elections.

The dispute followed the September 15 position of the APC Governors Forum that its members would neither participate in nor support or endorse any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining Tinubu’s re-election, weakening the APC or adversely affecting its candidates.

Uzodimma, who read the forum’s communique, said the governors’ campaign commitment would be exclusively to APC candidates at all levels.

Wike, however, has continued to argue that the governors’ opposition to the coalition is driven by their political calculations rather than concerns about Tinubu’s re-election.

He had previously accused Uzodimma and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, of spearheading opposition to the coalition.

The APC governors, however, have maintained publicly that their position is aimed at protecting the party, its candidates and Tinubu’s re-election, while rejecting support for candidates outside the APC.

Wike nevertheless insisted that the Rainbow Coalition would continue to mobilise support for Tinubu across party lines, arguing that the presidential contest should not be conflated with governorship and legislative elections.

Efforts by our correspondent to obtain a reaction from the All Progressives Congress National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls placed to his phone.

However, sources within the ruling party told The PUNCH that the National Working Committee was already working behind the scenes to broker a truce, and ensure both parties ended the feud ahead of next year’s polls.

The peace deal is expected to take place with the return of the APC national chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, who is scheduled to return from vacation soon.

“The party is leaving nothing to chance. Preparations are well underway, and once the national chairman returns at the beginning of the week, he will lead the NWC to meet with the President and discuss the best way to resolve the matter,” the party source said.

Source: punchng.com

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