Wike vs APC Govs: Next Action Tinubu Will Take Ahead of 2027 Announced

• President Bola Tinubu is expected to step in and broker peace between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and APC governors over the 2027 election dispute
• A senior presidential aide said the intervention, which could happen abroad, is linked to concerns the rift may damage Tinubu's re-election chances
• South-East APC leaders and a former House Minority Leader have both publicly condemned Wike's comments and his Rainbow Coalition push

President Bola Tinubu, currently on vacation in France, is expected to personally intervene in the deepening conflict between All Progressives Congress governors and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike before the weekend, a senior presidential aide has revealed.

The aide confirmed that Tinubu planned to engage both sides to prevent the dispute from damaging the APC's preparations for the 2027 elections.

"The President is the leader of the party and the father of the nation. There will be an intervention to broker a truce and resolve whatever differences exist between them, ensuring that all parties work together ahead of the coming election. The intervention is likely to take place abroad before the end of the week," the source said.

What sparked the conflict

Wike, a PDP leader serving in Tinubu's cabinet, has been building his Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State and across the country, pitching it as a vehicle to back Tinubu for the presidency while also supporting PDP candidates in governorship and senatorial races against APC contenders, Punch reported.

He recently alleged that Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Imo Governor Hope Uzodimma were behind efforts to frustrate him politically.

Uzodimma, who chairs the APC Progressive Governors' Forum, rejected the coalition after the forum met in Abuja on Monday, September 14.

He said APC governors would not back any political arrangement that could undermine party unity or Tinubu's re-election.

Wike hit back, calling the governors politically weak and insisting he was free to support candidates of his choosing in state-level contests.

As reported by Punch, the row runs deeper, touching on political calculations for 2031, leadership of the incoming National Assembly, and Wike's active support for PDP candidates challenging sitting APC governors.

APC leaders reject Wike's approach

South-East APC leaders, in a joint statement signed by National Vice Chairman Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu and the party chairmen of all five South-East states, described Wike's remarks as "most unfortunate, reprehensible and completely unacceptable."

The statement called on the minister to withdraw his attacks and respect "party discipline, mutual respect and collective responsibility."

Former House Minority Leader Farouk Adamu-Aliyu, speaking on Channels Television's Politics Today on Thursday, September 17, said the APC would not allow Wike to fracture the party the way he allegedly weakened the PDP ahead of 2023.

While acknowledging Wike's past contribution, Adamu-Aliyu drew a firm line.

"Wike is not a member of our party. So we will treat him as a member of the opposition," he said, adding that the minister's approach risked becoming "an albatross" for the administration.

Efforts to reach Wike's media aide, Lere Olayinka, were unsuccessful, as he did not answer calls or respond to messages before this report was filed.

APC, Tinubu allies warn Wike

Previously, Legit.ng reported that the State Coordinators of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors publicly cautioned FCT Minister Nyesom Wike against political moves that could weaken the loyalty of APC governors to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

In a signed statement, the group said its concern centres on Wike's Rainbow Coalition, which it described as a parallel political structure that risks competing with, rather than complementing, the APC's existing grassroots machinery.