“Wike Cannot Tell PDP Members Not To Contest Governorship, National Assembly Seats” — Fayose Says His Commitment Is Limited To Presidency

A former Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Ayodele Fayose, has dismissed the quarrel between the APC Governors Forum and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over the rainbow coalition, insisting that the dispute is one of method rather than of loyalty and that it can only improve President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s prospects in 2027.

Chief Fayose, who was among the non-members of the ruling party who worked for the President in 2023 and who now holds an appointment under the administration, spoke in a television interview in which he was pressed repeatedly on the coalition strategy, the state of the economy, and the opposition’s chances.

Opening his defence, the former governor said the controversy has been misread.

“None of the parties has said they’re not supporting the President. None of the parties. It is the methodology, the style, that is the issue,” he said.

He argued that friction of this kind is a normal feature of a contest involving powerful figures, and that it carries no cost.

“Let me summarise what’s going on, as everything works together for good for the President. Without controversy, you can’t get far. Controversy in itself will help the election. This controversy has nothing to do with the winning of the President. In fact, it makes it much better.”

“Nigerians know who Wike is. Nigerians know the institution, the Nigeria Governors Forum. They are both saying different things in different ways. The Governors Forum says we are not doing coalition. Wike said, do what you have to do in your state, whatever you feel comfortable with. If you’re comfortable without a coalition, go ahead. The method that works for A might not work for B.”

He insisted the dispute offers nothing to the opposition: “This does not even play to the hands of the opposition, because the two of them are united behind the President. And don’t forget, these are men of strength in our country. You should expect this. The moment there is interest, power struggle, you expect all this. This has taken nothing out of the system. That is the truth.”

He added that ego is an unavoidable element: “They all see the same thing in different ways. But don’t forget, everybody has his own ego. Every one of us, including myself. My positioning when I was governor was different from another governor’s, and different from the sitting governor’s. But that does not deny that we are all working for the same goal.”

Put to him that voters could be confused by being asked to vote for the ruling party at the presidential level and for another party in the National Assembly and governorship contests, particularly where political awareness is low, the former governor said the test is simply whether the method delivers.

“I sincerely don’t want to join issues on these two sides. These are issues of everybody exercising their interest in the system,” he said.

“If rainbow works for Wike in Rivers, and he can bring results, that’s all the President wants. If rainbow works and can give him numbers, so be it. The governors say, in our state, after all, he will not come to our states and form a coalition rainbow.”

He said the arrangement is in any event confined to states where the handler believes he can manage it: “Let us not deceive ourselves. Rainbow is in a particular state where the handler says I can handle a rainbow. If the rainbow is to carry everybody along, guarantee everybody’s interest, ensure that if rainbow produces this, you will get that.”

“And a man who could flip an election for a governorship candidate of APC and a PDP House of Reps, if he has the capacity, and he has done it before, then he has capacity to do it in some states.”

He questioned whether the strategy has even been exported: “The question is, has he gone to any other state to preach a rainbow?”

Told that rainbow arrangements are already visible in states such as Kwara, where members who left the ruling party are said to be urging voters to back the party in the governorship and House of Representatives contests while voting for the President at the top of the ballot, the former governor was unmoved.

“We are only flogging this issue. What works for me may not work for you. My capacity to deliver in any state is my strength,” he said.

“I was in an election. I can say anything. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. So many things were said, and when it didn’t work, everybody went back home. If Wike wants a rainbow in Kwara and it doesn’t work, so be it.”

He stressed the limit of the minister’s own commitment: “And don’t forget, Wike is not supporting people beyond the presidency, because he still wants to keep the PDP for the future. Therefore, the issue here that you are asking me about is the presidency.”

“Wike has not hidden his position. Neither have I hidden my position. Neither have the governors, the 31 of them, hidden their position to support the President. Nobody will tell me in Nigeria that you don’t know Wike. You don’t know his style. In fact, he will say what he will do before time.”

Confronted with the governors’ objection that they do not want that kind of division in their party, and that the minister is mobilising for the President while insisting the PDP remains free to contest the National Assembly, governorship and State Assembly elections, Chief Fayose said the alternative would be to wind up the party altogether.

“You are mixing it up, with all due respect. Wike cannot come and tell PDP members, don’t contest House of Reps. It’s not morally right for him to say, okay, you don’t contest governor, you don’t contest House of Assembly. No, he won’t say that.”

“It is either we fold the party and shut the party down, which is not his wish, and not our wish. His wish is that, apart from the presidency, which he is going to support, if anybody comes out under PDP it will be a paperweight. That’s the truth.”

He continued: “He has said it openly, he is the leader of that party. In House of Reps, everybody has shown interest. Then those who took forms in the PDP will go home and slug it out and find their way. But we cannot say anybody should not contest, except the party is done to existence. That is the truth.”

The former governor urged that attention be confined to the top of the ballot.