Wike's Rainbow Coalition Gains Backing of Aggrieved APC Leaders Across 10 States, Full List Emerges

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  • APC members and former party leaders in at least 10 states have been aligning with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike's Rainbow Coalition
  • Senior APC figures described the coalition as an alternative platform for members who felt shortchanged during party primaries
  • The Kwara governor's aide alleged that Wike is using the coalition to position himself for the 2031 presidential race

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.

FCT, Abuja - A growing number of disaffected All Progressives Congress (APC) members are moving towards the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike's Rainbow Coalition.

Senior party figures in at least 10 states have either defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or openly endorsed the cross-party platform ahead of the 2027 elections.

Nyesom Wike's Rainbow Coalition is reportedly attracting support from aggrieved APC members ahead of the 2027 elections. Photo credit: Nyesom Ezenwo Wike - CON, GSSRSSource: Facebook

A national leader of the APC, speaking anonymously, told The Punch that the coalition functions as a safety valve for members who would otherwise leave for the African Democratic Congress (ADC). According to him, Wike's arrangement effectively keeps disgruntled members within a structure still aligned with President Bola Tinubu's re-election bid.

The source said:

"Wike has the support of the President on his Rainbow Coalition. It is an alternative platform for aggrieved APC members who may want to join the ADC. So, instead of joining the ADC, they move to the PDP where they will be given a ticket or recognition with assurance from them that they will work for Tinubu."

A second APC official, also speaking anonymously, said the party's primary concern remained securing Tinubu's victory, and that responsibility for managing fallout from disputed primaries lay with governors who conducted them.

APC defections spread across states

From Kwara to Gombe, Cross River, Osun, Katsina, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ogun, Jigawa, and Ondo, prominent APC figures who lost out in their party's nomination processes have crossed to the PDP. In Kwara, Senator Saliu Mustapha, two state assembly members, and Tajudeen Olesin of The Otoge Progressives have all joined Wike's camp. Senator Olubuyi Fadeyi of Osun Central picked up a PDP ticket after losing his APC return bid.

2027 Election: New Twist as Cracks Emerge in Wike’s Pro-Tinubu Rainbow Coalition, Details EmergeFresh developments have emerged within Nyesom Wike’s pro-Tinubu coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with reports of disagreements among members.Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, https://www.facebook.com/legitngnews, 18 Sep 2026

In Katsina, House of Representatives members Shehu Tafoki and Shehu Dalhatu also dumped the APC. Former Communications Minister Isa Pantami and ex-Gombe South senator Anthony Yaro are among other notable figures who have reportedly made the switch.

Olesin argued that the governors' resistance to the coalition was self-serving. He claimed that Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, who chairs the Progressive Governors Forum, was personally opposed to Wike because the minister had declined to back his reported ambition to become Senate President in 2027, favouring instead the return of the incumbent Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Mashood Alaka and Lere Olayinka offer contrasting views on Nyesom Wike's alleged 2031 presidential ambition. Photo credit: Nyesom Ezenwo Wike - CON, GSSRSSource: Facebook

Wike's 2031 ambition claim sparks dispute

Mashood Alaka, Special Adviser on Party Affairs to Kwara Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, dismissed the coalition as a calculated effort to position Wike for the 2031 presidential race, arguing that backing Tinubu while fielding PDP candidates for the National Assembly was contradictory and potentially harmful to the presidency.

Wike's spokesman, Lere Olayinka, rejected the 2031 ambition claim, saying power rotation arrangements meant the presidency would return to the North after 2031 if Tinubu completed two terms, making a southern candidate untenable. He also said speculation about the composition of the National Assembly was premature ahead of any election.

Wike vs APC Govs: Next Steps as Tinubu Intervenes in Rift Ahead of 2027Tinubu may broker peace between Wike and APC governors over the 2027 election row as allies condemn the Rainbow Coalition and warn of risks to his re-election.Ezra Ukanwa, https://www.facebook.com/legitngnews, 18 Sep 2026

Calls and messages to Governor Uzodinma's aides went unanswered.

The 10 states where prominent aggrieved APC figures have moved towards Wike's Rainbow Coalition/PDP platform are listed below:

  1. Kwara
  2. Gombe
  3. Cross River
  4. Osun
  5. Katsina
  6. Bayelsa
  7. Ebonyi
  8. Ogun
  9. Jigawa
  10. Ondo

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Wike vows to raise opposition's blood pressure

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Wike said his mission ahead of the 2027 elections is to ensure that opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi, remain politically unsettled and under pressure.

The FCT minister insisted there is currently no credible, organised opposition in Nigeria, saying internal divisions within the PDP had left the political landscape without a clear frontrunner to challenge President Tinubu.