Tinubu Urged to Keep Wike Amid Growing Rift With APC Governors

A senior member of the All Progressives Congress has cautioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against severing ties with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, even as some APC governors demand the president create distance between himself and the minister. Osita Okechukwu, who helped found the ruling party, released a statement on Wednesday warning that abandoning Wike could be politically costly.

He characterised the governors pushing for this move as 'pretenders' and criticized them for airing internal party disagreements in public rather than handling the matter through proper channels. The dispute centres on Wike's establishment of the Rainbow Coalition, a political grouping intended to unite various parties ahead of the 2027 elections.

Okechukwu argued that Wike's support proved instrumental in helping Tinubu win the presidency in 2023, and that removing him from the administration's inner circle would ignore this contribution. Other APC figures, including socialite Pascal Okechukwu, have echoed this sentiment, stating that coalition votes will be essential for Tinubu's re-election bid in 2027.

The Peoples Democratic Party has taken a separate position, declaring that Wike's backing for Tinubu represents a personal decision rather than an official party stance. The PDP stated it intends to contest the 2027 presidential election with its own candidate, Senator Sandy Onor, while characterising any discussions between Wike and party leadership as private understanding.

Meanwhile, the PDP National Youth Movement has sided with Wike, calling on APC governors to focus on their own internal matters rather than attacking the minister over the Rainbow Coalition. Sources differ on whether the PDP views Wike's position as a threat or as irrelevant to its electoral strategy.

The dispute underscores broader tensions within Nigeria's political elite over coalition-building strategies and the role of high-profile defectors in electoral mathematics ahead of 2027.