Wike vs APC Govs: Tinubu May Step In From France to Settle the Fight
By: Abudu Olalekan
So it looks like President Bola Tinubu is about to wade into the messy standoff between APC governors and the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. And apparently, it’s happening soon.
A senior presidential aide, who spoke to Reportersroom on the low because he wasn’t cleared to talk, said the President plans to sit both sides down. The goal? Iron out their differences before 2027 politics gets any louder. The kicker — this whole thing might go down abroad, before the week runs out.
Tinubu’s currently on vacation in France. So that tells you where the “abroad” part comes from.
Now here’s the backstory. Wike, still a big name in the opposition PDP, is somehow serving in an APC-led government as FCT minister. Strange arrangement, sure. But he’s been pushing his so-called Rainbow Coalition in Rivers, all in support of Tinubu ahead of 2027.
Thing is, he’s been butting heads with some APC governors. During a recent media chat, Wike pointed fingers straight at Kwara’s AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Imo’s Hope Uzodimma. He claimed they were behind his political troubles. Why? Because his coalition is spreading, giving room to politicians who want to challenge APC candidates in governorship and senatorial races.
Uzodimma wasn’t having it. Speaking after the Progressive Governors’ Forum meeting in Abuja on Monday night, he made it plain — APC governors won’t back any deal that weakens Tinubu’s re-election or the party itself. Their loyalty, he said, stays with APC candidates. Full stop.
Wike fired back, defending the coalition. He argued it’s meant to boost Tinubu’s presidential run while still strengthening the PDP elsewhere. In his words, supporting Tinubu doesn’t mean he must support every APC candidate in every state. He’s free to back whoever he wants. He even called the governors politically weak, saying they can’t even win their own states without help.
Meanwhile, two APC leaders told our correspondent on Wednesday there’s more to this than meets the eye. The real fight, they say, is about 2031 calculations, control of the 11th National Assembly, and Wike quietly rallying PDP folks to challenge sitting governors and their allies.
No surprise then that party stakeholders are worried. If this drags on, they fear it could hurt Tinubu’s own re-election.
But the presidential aide sounded confident. “You know, the President is the leader of the party and the father of the nation,” he said. “The interesting aspect is that the governors and the minister are all working in the interest of the President and the Federal Republic.”
He added, “So, of course, President Tinubu will intervene… There will be an intervention to broker a truce and resolve whatever differences exist. The intervention is likely to take place abroad before the end of the week.”
South-East APC weighs in
Down in the South-East, APC leaders rallied behind Uzodimma and the governors’ forum. In a joint statement signed by National Vice Chairman Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu and party chairmen from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, they blasted Wike’s remarks as “most unfortunate, reprehensible and completely unacceptable.”
They reminded everyone that these governors are elected leaders — men who pulled over 25 percent of the presidential vote in their states back in 2023. A minister, they argued, has zero authority over sitting governors. They also rejected any “rainbow (chameleon) coalition” creeping into their region.
Ex-Rep drags Wike too
Former House Minority Leader Farouk Adamu-Aliyu didn’t hold back either. On Channels TV’s Politics Today, he warned that Wike won’t be allowed to fracture the APC the way he allegedly cracked the PDP.
“Wike is not a member of our party. So we will treat him as a member of the opposition,” he said. He appreciated Wike’s past help but drew a hard line. “We will not allow him to use our party to build his own party.”
Efforts to reach Wike’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, didn’t work. He didn’t pick calls or reply WhatsApp messages as of press time.
Olalekan A. Abudu is a seasoned and dedicated News Journalist at REPORTERS ROOM, with over eight years of experience. He specializes in politics, climate change, health, and education, while also covering security, economic, and judicial issues. Committed to accuracy and balanced reporting, Olalekan exemplifies the principles of public-interest journalism.
