Eastern APC Leaders Deepen Wike’s Political Woes, Reject Rainbow Coalition

Eastern APC Leaders Deepen Wike’s Political Woes

 

OpenLife News reports that the crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC, deepened on Thursday as the party leadership in the South-East openly disowned the Rainbow Coalition midwived by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr. Nyesom Wike, and threw its weight behind the Progressive Governors’ Forum, PGF.

The Eastern leaders’ rejection of Wike’s coalition has plunged the former Rivers governor into deeper political isolation within the ruling party, despite his claims that the platform was created to secure President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

South-East APC Backs Governors, Dumps Wike’s Coalition

In a joint statement signed by the APC National Vice Chairman (South-East), Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, and the five state chairmen of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states, the zone said it stands solidly with all APC governors and candidates at all levels in the 2027 elections.

The leaders described Wike’s recent attacks on PGF members as “most unfortunate, reprehensible and completely unacceptable,” insisting that Progressive Governors are “performing leaders whose records speak for themselves” and not “abstract politicians.”

They accused Wike, a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, member serving in an APC government, of working to hurt the fortunes of sitting APC governors in 2027, saying no minister has authority over elected governors.

“It is more troubling that Wike’s growing tendency to insult, diminish and plot to remove sitting Progressive Governors in 2027 is increasing each day,” the statement said, demanding he returns to “party discipline, mutual respect and collective responsibility.”

The zone vowed to resist what it called the “rainbow (chameleon) coalition” in the South-East, declaring that the APC is “bigger than any individual.”

“We in the South-East stand solidly with all Progressive Governors and candidates of our party at all levels in the forthcoming 2027 elections,” the statement said.

Wike’s Feud With Govs Worsens

Wike had claimed his coalition is 100 per cent for Tinubu’s re-election and accused APC governors of being lazy and failing to work for Tinubu in 2023.

He singled out Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, questioning how APC won two Senate seats in Imo in 2023 while the President failed to get sizable votes and lost the state.

Farouk Aliyu: Wike Already Compensated

Adding to Wike’s woes, founding APC member and former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Farouk Aliyu, slammed Wike during an Arise TV interview on Thursday.

Aliyu said the party leadership and membership reject Wike’s “lazy” tag on governors and that Wike had been “adequately compensated” for supporting Tinubu in 2023 with his appointment as FCT Minister.

“There are certain things that as a government, people are not happy with us. So, it is very uncalled for, for someone that is trying to help us, to be insulting members of our party,” Aliyu said.

“We’re not happy with his comments, and we hope he will desist from these kinds of comments so that it does not overheat the polity.”

He said APC remains open to alliances but insisted that internal boundaries must be respected and that governors remain in charge of party operations in their states.“I call on my party members not to join issues with Wike, let it not be a distraction to us. We have a party to run, we have a country to run,” he added.

Shettima Clarifies Northern Govs Comment

Meanwhile, the Office of Vice President Kashim Shettima has clarified his remarks about Northern governors’ support for Tinubu ahead of the 2023 election.

In a statement by his media aide, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said his reference to six Northern governors who supported Tinubu was about political consultations before the June 2022 APC presidential primary, not about support during the general election.

The statement said all APC governors in the North rallied around Tinubu after his emergence and contributed to his victory.

The development shows Wike is increasingly isolated as APC leaders, particularly from the South-East, openly reject his parallel political structure and rally behind the governors ahead of 2027.