Powerful blocs within the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, are increasingly concerned that the Nyesom Wike-led Rainbow Coalition could undermine the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections and ultimately affect President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The coalition, which brings together politicians from different parties and political blocs, has maintained that its primary objective is to support Tinubu’s presidential ambition while allowing its members to pursue candidates from different platforms in other elections.
However, some APC governors and party stakeholders reportedly fear the arrangement could create confusion among voters and weaken the party’s chances in National Assembly and governorship contests.
Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and a prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has repeatedly defended the coalition, insisting that its activities are aimed at securing Tinubu’s return to office.
Speaking during a media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Wike accused Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, Hope Uzodinma, as well as Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, of leading opposition against him.
Wike said he had no intention of allowing personal disagreements with the governors to distract him from supporting Tinubu’s re-election.
He also argued that APC leaders should appreciate the role he had played in providing a political platform for aggrieved members of the ruling party rather than allowing them to join groups opposed to the President.
APC fears vote fragmentation
Sources close to the APC governors said the major concern was that the coalition’s strategy could confuse voters, particularly in rural communities where voters may be more inclined to vote along party lines.
The coalition has backed candidates contesting National Assembly and other positions on different party platforms while simultaneously campaigning for Tinubu at the presidential level.
According to the sources, such an arrangement could result in voters supporting Tinubu but choosing opposition candidates for other positions, potentially reducing APC’s representation in the National Assembly and weakening the party at the state level.
They cited previous elections in which voters supported presidential candidates from one party while voting for candidates from another party in state and legislative elections.
The concerns are reportedly particularly pronounced in Rivers, Kwara, Gombe and Cross River states, where the coalition has become increasingly active.
Rivers faces political uncertainty
In Rivers State, the coalition has generated controversy over the identity of its preferred candidates and the political direction it intends to pursue in the 2027 governorship election.
The coalition was formed in January 2026 amid the political crisis involving Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara and later gained greater prominence following Fubara’s move to the APC.
Wike has backed Ogundu Kingsley Chinda, who previously served as a PDP lawmaker, while the coalition has also selected Major Jack as his running mate.
The arrangement has, however, triggered concerns among some coalition members, particularly over the choice of an upland candidate in a state where several prominent contenders are from the riverine areas.
Political observers have also questioned how voters will reconcile candidates contesting under different party platforms while claiming membership of the same coalition.
Dr Jackson Omenazu, Chancellor of the International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights, said Rivers voters deserved clarity about the political choices before them.
Another political figure, Desmond Stephen, argued that the coalition could create unnecessary confusion and urged voters to make independent choices during the election.
Wike, however, has remained confident that candidates supported by the coalition will emerge victorious.
Kwara APC split deepens
The political situation in Kwara State has also become a major flashpoint.
The coalition has attracted several aggrieved APC members and former aspirants who are opposed to the leadership structure of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Among those who have moved to the PDP is Senator Saliu Mustapha, who resigned from the APC after losing the party’s governorship ticket and later received the PDP ticket to contest the Kwara Central senatorial seat.
Other APC members, including Kolo Jiya and two members of the Kwara State House of Assembly, have also defected to the PDP.
The development has intensified the political rivalry between Wike-backed forces and the APC leadership in the state.
Political analyst Abdul Kareem Jimoh said the governors had legitimate reasons to be concerned about Wike’s activities, warning that the consequences of the current political realignment could extend beyond the 2027 election.
Lawyer Jimoh Mohammed, however, said Wike was entitled to express his political views, noting that the disagreements between him and the Kwara governor appeared to be rooted in political differences.
Media practitioner and politician Raheem Adedoyin criticised the use of resources associated with the APC to challenge the party’s interests at the state level, describing the development as damaging to the ruling party.
Cross River, Gombe also affected
In Cross River State, the coalition is also challenging APC structures, including Governor Bassey Otu.
The PDP has fielded Arthur Jarvis as its governorship candidate, while several opposition figures are actively campaigning across the state.
The defection of hundreds of APC supporters to the PDP has further complicated the political landscape.
Dr Lyon Ebamane of the University of Calabar argued that attempts to redirect PDP voters toward Tinubu could prove difficult because many grassroots supporters remain loyal to their party and may vote for the PDP across the ballot.
In Gombe State, former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Isa Pantami’s movement to the PDP has also become part of the broader political realignment associated with the coalition.
Coalition could hurt Tinubu, analyst warns
Politics Editor of Arise News, Sunna Sambo, has also warned that the coalition could create problems for Tinubu in 2027.
Sambo said APC governors were concerned that voters might struggle to distinguish between the different parties backed by coalition members, potentially leading to split-ticket voting.
He noted that the political reception given to opposition figures such as Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso in Rivers State was an indication that the electorate could be difficult to predict.
According to him, the APC should therefore approach the coalition cautiously rather than assume that its support for Tinubu would automatically translate into votes for APC candidates across the ballot.
Wike remains defiant
Despite the growing criticism, Wike has continued to insist that the Rainbow Coalition is firmly behind Tinubu.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, he said Osun State Governor-elect Ademola Adeleke was also part of the coalition and would support the President.
Wike said his objective was to ensure that opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, were unable to gain political advantage ahead of the 2027 elections.
He also dismissed suggestions that Nigeria currently had a dominant opposition force, arguing that several opposition politicians were primarily seeking political relevance.
With the 2027 elections drawing closer, the growing rivalry between the Rainbow Coalition and APC structures in several states is expected to intensify, raising questions about whether the coalition’s strategy will ultimately strengthen Tinubu’s re-election bid or undermine the ruling party’s candidates at other levels of the election.
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