Undecided governors await president’s homecoming as FCT minister claims new plan to outflank Atiku and Obi
ABUJA – A bitter dispute between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and some governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has divided the party’s 31 governors into opposing camps, exposing a fresh challenge for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
Governors reportedly sympathetic to Wike include Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Monday Okpebholo (Edo), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos) and Ahmed Ododo (Kogi). Against him are Progressive Governors’ Forum chairman Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Nigerian Governors’ Forum chairman AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Uba Sani (Kaduna) and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), among others.
Several governors are said to be sitting on the fence until Tinubu, currently abroad, returns. “Not all the governors are opposed to the minister,” a senior party source said, noting that many were once his friends.
The feud centres on Wike’s “Rainbow Coalition,” which is backing candidates on other parties’ tickets. At a closed-door meeting in Abuja, the governors’ forum reportedly resolved to support only official APC candidates and reject outside coalition endorsements. The governors argued that rival candidates could confuse voters and hurt Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Wike rejects that explanation. He suggests the opposition hides other motives, including Uzodimma’s reported ambition to become Senate President, and has criticised AbdulRazaq for blaming him for Kwara’s political troubles. Sources add that governors in states where Wike is not sponsoring candidates have less reason to object.
Meanwhile, anti-Wike elements reportedly floated the idea on Tuesday that aggrieved governors might ally with opposition presidential candidates, a move seen as pressure on Tinubu. Some party leaders have urged all sides to show restraint.
Wike: New Plan to Counter Atiku, Obi
Separately, Wike said a new strategy is in place to counter Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in 2027. He spoke after inspecting road projects in the capital.
Revisiting his controversial comments on 2023, Wike said the PDP’s G5 bloc deliberately worked to deny Atiku South-South votes, viewing him as a bigger threat than Obi. He argued that the region, a traditional PDP stronghold, would have delivered victory to Atiku had it voted along party lines. He also dismissed claims of manipulation in Rivers State, noting that no one presented tribunal evidence that the Labour Party won there.
Asked about his 2027 plans, Wike said he would not let the cat out of the bag, but he insisted Obi’s strength is largely a social media construct.
He reaffirmed support for Tinubu’s re-election, calling it wrong to back another candidate after supporting the president in 2023. He said this should not stop the PDP from contesting sub-national elections, and that he will remain in the party to help rebuild it.
Wike spoke while receiving PDP Board of Trustees members, led by Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, who visited to condole with him on the death of South-South National Vice Chairman Chief Dan Orbih. Ohuabunwa urged him to stay focused, saying his criticisms of the party were true.
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