The APC governors Wike feud has intensified ahead of the 2027 general elections, with South-East leaders of the All Progressives Congress backing the Progressive Governors’ Forum and rejecting the political coalition associated with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
The APC National Vice Chairman for the South-East, Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu, and the chairmen of the party in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states expressed support for the PGF in a joint statement.
The leaders said the governors’ position would be important to the party’s efforts to secure victory in 2027. They also condemned Wike’s recent criticism of members of the forum, describing the attacks as “most unfortunate, reprehensible and completely unacceptable.”
According to the South-East APC leaders, the governors under criticism have delivered development projects in their respective states and secured more than 25 per cent of the presidential vote for the APC in the 2023 election.
They argued that elected governors should not be subjected to political interference by a minister and accused Wike of working against the electoral prospects of some sitting APC governors.
The leaders also rejected what they called the “rainbow (chameleon) coalition” taking shape in the region. They pledged to protect the APC’s structures and support its candidates at every level, from President Bola Tinubu to candidates for the State Houses of Assembly.
The dispute has also drawn criticism from Farouk Aliyu, a founding member of the APC in Jigawa State and former minority leader of the House of Representatives.
Speaking on Arise TV, Aliyu rejected Wike’s description of some APC governors as “lazy” and said such comments were unacceptable to members of the ruling party.
He acknowledged Wike’s role in supporting Tinubu during the 2023 election but argued that the minister had already been adequately compensated through his appointment as FCT Minister.
Aliyu praised Wike’s performance in the role but urged him to avoid personal attacks on APC leaders, including Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
He called on APC members not to allow the dispute to distract them from governing and preparing for future elections.
“I call on my party members not to join issues with Wike, let it not be a distraction to us. We have a party to run, we have a country to run,” Aliyu said.
He also appealed to Wike to exercise restraint, saying public attacks on members of the ruling party could further heat up the political atmosphere.
However, APC chieftain and federal lawmaker Abdulmumin Jibrin offered a different position, warning party members against publicly embarrassing Wike.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Jibrin argued that Wike had contributed significantly to President Tinubu’s electoral success and remained an important political figure.
“There is no APC member in Nigeria today that has not directly or indirectly benefited from the efforts of Wike,” Jibrin said.
He described Wike as an “asset to APC” and said the minister had sacrificed considerably for the President and the party.
Jibrin’s comments came amid criticism of Wike’s continued membership of the Peoples Democratic Party while supporting Tinubu’s re-election through the Rainbow Coalition.
Meanwhile, the office of Vice President Kashim Shettima has clarified remarks concerning Northern governors and their support for Tinubu.
In a statement, Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Communication in the Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, said Shettima’s reference to six Northern governors specifically concerned political consultations before the APC presidential primary in June 2022.
He said the remarks were not intended to question the support of Northern APC governors after Tinubu emerged as the party’s presidential candidate.
According to the statement, Northern APC governors subsequently rallied behind Tinubu during the 2023 campaign and contributed to the party’s electoral efforts.
Shettima, the statement added, holds the governors and other APC leaders in high regard and recognises their contributions to Tinubu’s emergence and electoral victory. The clarification comes as disagreements within and around the ruling party continue to shape political alignments ahead of the 2027 elections.
