Wike-APC Governors’ Feud Deepens As 31 Governors Split Into Rival Camps

The growing disagreement between Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and some governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress has reportedly divided the party’s 31 state governors into different camps ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to Bush Radio Academy, party sources said while some governors remain sympathetic to Wike because of their previous political relationships with him, others have aligned with the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, as well as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

A senior APC source reportedly said Wike still has friends among the governors, pointing particularly to Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri and others who have maintained relationships with the former Rivers State governor.

The source was quoted as saying that not all APC governors were opposed to Wike, noting that many of them knew him from his time as a governor and had maintained political ties with him.

Reports also indicated that Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Kogi State Governor Ahmed Ododo were among those said to be sympathetic to Wike’s position. On the other side, Uzodimma and AbdulRazaq were reportedly backed by Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Some governors were also said to have avoided taking a clear position, with party sources reportedly waiting for President Bola Tinubu’s return before determining their next steps.

The disagreement became more pronounced after the Progressive Governors’ Forum announced that APC governors would support candidates officially nominated by the ruling party for the 2027 elections. The position was widely interpreted as a rejection of Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party political initiative he has promoted in support of President Tinubu’s re-election.

The APC governors have maintained that they do not support political arrangements capable of weakening the party or creating parallel structures ahead of the elections. Hope Uzodimma, speaking after a closed-door meeting of the governors in Abuja, said the governors remained committed to the APC and its political structure.

Wike, however, has rejected the suggestion that his Rainbow Coalition poses a threat to the APC. The FCT minister has argued that the initiative is primarily aimed at mobilising support for Tinubu while allowing politicians to support candidates of their choice in other elections.

He has also alleged that opposition to the coalition from Uzodimma and AbdulRazaq is linked to other political interests, including calculations surrounding the future leadership of the National Assembly. Wike has specifically said he would not support Uzodimma for the position of Senate President after the 2027 elections.

The dispute has continued to generate reactions within the APC, with some party figures calling for dialogue between Wike and the governors. APC Presidential Campaign Council spokesman Ima Niboro, for instance, urged the parties to end their public exchanges and concentrate on mobilising support for Tinubu.

The growing disagreement has also prompted calls for President Tinubu to intervene. The APC Presidential Campaign Council previously said the President’s experience could help resolve the dispute between Wike and the Progressive Governors’ Forum.

As the 2027 elections draw closer, the competing positions over Wike’s Rainbow Coalition and the APC’s official political structure have increased tensions within the ruling party. The extent to which the disagreement will affect cooperation among the governors and the party’s broader electoral strategy remains a subject of growing political attention.