Tinubu To Step In As Wike, APC Governors Clash Worsens

The rift between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and APC governors may soon get presidential attention.

President Bola Tinubu, who is on vacation in France, is expected to broker peace between both sides before the week runs out, a senior aide at the Presidency told The PUNCH.

The aide said Tinubu cannot watch the fight linger because all the actors claim to be working for him.

Wike had accused Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Imo Governor Hope Uzodimma of working against him. He said they are threatened by his Rainbow Coalition — a political vehicle he is using in Rivers to mobilise support for Tinubu in 2027 while backing PDP candidates for other positions.

Uzodimma fired back after the Progressive Governors Forum meeting in Abuja on Monday. He said APC governors will only work for APC candidates and will not back any arrangement that weakens the party or Tinubu’s second term bid.

Sources inside APC told The PUNCH the fight goes beyond Rainbow. It is also about 2031 ambitions and who controls the 11th National Assembly.

The face-off is already splitting the party.

In the South-East, APC leaders led by National Vice Chairman Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu and the five state chairmen slammed Wike, calling his attacks on governors “reprehensible and unacceptable.” They insisted no minister can lord over elected governors and declared full support for all APC candidates in 2027.

Former House Minority Leader Farouk Adamu-Aliyu also went hard on Wike on Channels TV. He said APC used Wike to break PDP in 2023 and appreciates him, but will not allow him to scatter APC too.

“Wike is not a member of our party. We will treat him as opposition. We will not allow him to use our party to build his own party,” he said.

He warned that Wike’s style of insulting voters and governors could cost APC in 2027. Wike’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, did not respond to calls as of press time.