By - Governor Dauda Lawal says Wike cannot back the APC while simultaneously supporting other parties through the Rainbow Coalition
- APC governors’ forum has already distanced itself from the coalition, warning it could threaten Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid
- Lawal says he will raise Wike’s political standing directly with Tinubu once the President returns from his working vacation in France
Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has piled fresh pressure on FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over his role in the Rainbow Coalition, demanding that he formally declare where his political loyalty lies rather than straddling the APC and other parties at once.
Speaking to Channels Television’s Inside Sources on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Lawal said the message from APC governors was straightforward. A politician cannot claim to support the APC while simultaneously backing candidates from rival parties elsewhere, and Wike’s continued involvement with the cross-party coalition put him squarely on the wrong side of that line.
Lawal made clear the governors had no intention of softening their stance regardless of how Wike chose to respond publicly. When asked directly whether the governors were essentially inviting Wike to join the APC outright, he confirmed that was exactly the point they were making.
Governors Wary of Coalition’s Risk to Tinubu’s Re-election
The comments build on an earlier position taken by the Progressives Governors Forum, the body representing APC state chief executives, which has already rejected the idea of a cross-party arrangement involving its members. The forum has argued that such an alliance risks undermining Tinubu’s chances in 2027 rather than strengthening them, a concern Lawal echoed in his remarks.
Lawal added that he intends to take the matter up personally with Tinubu once the President returns from his working vacation in France, saying he wants clarity established on where Wike stands within the party structure.
Wike, for his part, has continued to insist that securing Tinubu’s re-election remains his central political priority. Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Monday after inspecting road projects across the FCT, he rejected suggestions that the Rainbow Coalition was designed to destabilise existing political parties, even as he has continued to back PDP candidates in select states, including Imo and Kwara, for the 2027 elections.
The disagreement adds to a string of tensions between Wike and APC governors this month, with the minister’s dual-track political positioning increasingly becoming a flashpoint as the 2027 campaign season gathers pace.
