State chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have expressed divergent views on whether to work with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as efforts intensify to resolve his disagreement with ruling-party leaders ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to Punch, while some APC chairmen said they would be prepared to work with Wike if he joined the party or reached an agreement with its national leadership, others rejected the minister’s Rainbow Coalition, insisting that it could not operate alongside the party’s structures in their states.
The disagreement largely stems from Wike’s continued membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) despite serving in the APC-led Federal Government.
The minister has also been promoting the Rainbow Coalition, which he says aims to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. The arrangement has, however, generated friction with some APC governors and party leaders.
Wike has maintained that his support for Tinubu does not prevent the PDP from fielding candidates for governorship and legislative elections.
In Plateau State, APC Chairman Rufus Bature, in an interview with Punch, said the party would be willing to work with Wike if an agreement was reached and peace was brokered.
However, Bature insisted that the minister could not simultaneously identify with two opposing political parties.
“If he wants to join the APC, he is free to do that because we don’t stop people from joining our party. But he cannot be APC in the morning and PDP in the night. We won’t allow that,” he said.
The position differed in Jigawa, where the APC welcomed Wike’s support for the President.
The state APC Publicity Secretary, Bashir Kundu, said the party appreciated Wike’s contribution to Tinubu’s 2027 campaign and was prepared to work with anyone committed to the President’s re-election.
Gombe APC Chairman, Mohammed Dantata, similarly said anyone interested in joining the ruling party would be welcome.
In Zamfara, APC chairman Kabiru Moyi said the state chapter would follow whatever decision the party’s national leadership reached.
“If the National Secretariat of our great party is ready to align with him for the success of the party, I have nothing to say but to accept the decision,” Moyi stated.
The Bauchi State APC Chairman, Muhammad Tilde, was more reserved, saying he could not unilaterally determine whether the state chapter would work with Wike.
He explained that such a decision would require consultations with other party leaders and stakeholders in the state.
In Kwara State, APC Chairman Sunday Fagbemi declined to comment on the reported reconciliation efforts.
However, a party chieftain, Abdul-Rahoof Labelabe, said the G15, now known as the OTOGE Progressives, had already begun working with Wike’s coalition in support of Tinubu.
In Benue, the APC Chairman, Benjamin Omale, said the state chapter had not received any invitation from the Presidency concerning the proposed reconciliation.
He said the chapter would take a collective position if approached, while stressing that it remained focused on a unity movement supporting both Governor Hyacinth Alia and President Tinubu in 2027.
The situation was also different in Sokoto and Kebbi, where the APC chapters denied having any structure associated with the Rainbow Coalition.
Sokoto APC Chairman Haruna Adiya said there was no issue between the state chapter and the coalition because no APC member in the state belonged to it.
The Kebbi chapter similarly said it recognised only its own Tinubu/Kauran Gwandu support structure.
Rivers APC Faction Cautious
In Rivers State, where Wike remains a major political force, the APC faction led by Emeka Beke expressed reservations about the possibility of allowing the minister to influence the party’s existing structure.
The faction’s Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju, said the group had yet to decide whether it would work with Wike should Tinubu succeed in reconciling the minister with the party.
In Taraba, the APC said its immediate priority was strengthening the party and supporting Tinubu, adding that it would operate within any framework eventually approved by the President and the party’s organs.
Nasarawa APC, meanwhile, urged Wike to formally join the ruling party and abandon the Rainbow Coalition, while commending his support for Tinubu.
The state Publicity Secretary, Augustine Ogaba, said the chapter did not recognise political coalitions operating outside the party’s approved structures.
“As APC members, we do not approve of any coalition that is not recognised or supported by our party’s leadership,” he said.
Ogaba added that the state chapter would welcome Wike if he decided to join the APC.
In Imo State, APC Publicity Secretary Jones Onwuasoanya expressed doubts that Tinubu would bypass governors and negotiate directly with state party chairmen.
He said the APC had established channels for communicating political decisions affecting the party.
“There are channels of communication within the party, and the party at the state level will always abide by the Constitution of the party and the guidance of our leaders, especially the Commander-in-Chief.
“We believe he would always consult with the governors before taking decisions that affect the party at local levels,” he said.
The Oyo State APC Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, declined to comment, describing the matter as sensitive.
