2027: Wike Must Explain Rainbow Coalition to APC Govs — Igbokwe
APC chieftain Joe Igbokwe has called on Nyesom Wike to consult APC governors and clarify his Rainbow Coalition plans.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Joe Igbokwe, has urged Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to engage the party’s governors and explain the objectives of his proposed Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.
Igbokwe’s call followed the escalating disagreement between Wike and APC governors over the coalition, which the former Rivers State governor says is aimed at mobilising support across political parties for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election.
Wike had criticised APC governors for rejecting the initiative, describing them as “politically lazy.”
The APC Governors Forum, however, led by its chairman and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has maintained that the governors will not support any political arrangement capable of undermining the APC or its candidates in the 2027 elections.
Reacting to the development, Igbokwe said Wike remained an influential political stakeholder whose political reach could not simply be ignored.
“Wike is a critical stakeholder. You can ignore him to your own peril. He has a command. He has the followers,” Igbokwe said.
He, however, questioned the timing and manner in which the Rainbow Coalition proposal was being presented, arguing that Wike needed to consult with APC governors and clearly explain his intentions.
“Coming at this time, to put this Rainbow Coalition on the table, he has to listen to the majority, sit down with the governors and explain,” he said.
Igbokwe said the disagreement should be resolved through dialogue rather than public exchanges between Wike and members of the APC Governors Forum.
“No man is an island. Explain to your colleagues what you are trying to do,” he added.
The controversy over the Rainbow Coalition has opened a fresh debate within the ruling party over how support for Tinubu’s presidential bid should relate to the APC’s candidates contesting governorship and legislative elections.
While Wike has insisted that his support for Tinubu does not amount to joining the APC or abandoning the PDP, the APC Governors Forum has said its members will prioritise candidates sponsored by the ruling party.
The development has consequently placed Wike’s cross-party mobilisation initiative at the centre of an increasingly public disagreement involving the FCT minister and some APC governors ahead of the 2027 elections.
