***Says governors seek control of National Assembly leadership

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has alleged that opposition by some governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections is driven by their desire to control the emergence of the next leadership of the National Assembly.

Wike made the allegation on Monday while speaking on TVC’s Journalists Hangout programme in Abuja, amid a growing disagreement between him and some APC governors over the proposed political arrangement.

The minister specifically mentioned Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Hope Uzodimma, and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, among those opposed to the coalition.

The development followed the position of APC governors that they would support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and candidates of the ruling party in the 2027 elections, rather than arrangements they believe could undermine the party or its candidates.

Wike, however, maintained that his support for Tinubu’s re-election was distinct from contests for governorship and legislative seats, arguing that politicians could support the President while contesting other elections on different party platforms.

He cited the experience of the G5 governors in the 2023 presidential election, when members of the group supported Tinubu while their parties’ candidates contested legislative and state elections.

“In 2023, core leadership G5, we said we are going to support Mr. President. But we never said that all our candidates in other elections will fail. We never said so,” Wike said.

He recalled that while he and other members of the group supported Tinubu in Rivers State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the state’s National Assembly and state elections.

“Particularly in Rivers State, we supported Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; he won the presidential election. But in the National Assembly election and the state election, PDP won,” he added.

Wike said the 2023 experience demonstrated that voters could make different choices in presidential, National Assembly and state elections, dismissing suggestions that the Rainbow Coalition would create confusion among the electorate.

He said a PDP candidate could support Tinubu for president while still seeking election to the National Assembly or State House of Assembly on the PDP platform.

“Who will be more confused? Is it not my own candidates that will be even more confused when I’ve told them to support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and then again, they now go back to support other candidates?” he asked.

Wike alleged that some APC governors were opposed to the Rainbow Coalition because they wanted greater control over the political composition of the next National Assembly and the emergence of its principal officers.

He claimed that the governors wanted to influence the selection of senators and members of the House of Representatives who would subsequently support their preferred candidates for Senate President and Speaker.

“APC in their ongoing party primaries, the governors, in their own wisdom, believe that they should be able now to put senators or House of Reps members who they will dictate to who will become the next Senate President or the Speaker,” he alleged.

Wike also accused Uzodimma of seeking to position himself for the Senate presidency after completing his tenure as governor.

He said politicians who were denied APC tickets could seek alternative platforms, including the PDP, and could subsequently emerge as members of the National Assembly outside the influence of the governors.
According to him, this was part of the concern among those opposed to the coalition.

“The fear now is that, if they run and they win, it means that they’re not going to support him to be the Senate President,” he said.
Wike added that his opposition to Uzodimma’s reported ambition was political and not personal.

“I will never support the character of Hope Uzodinma to be Senate President of Nigeria. Everybody knows that,” he said.

The FCT minister insisted that the Rainbow Coalition was not an APC structure and was not intended to undermine the ruling party.

He argued that politicians should be free to support Tinubu’s presidential ambition while retaining their individual party platforms for governorship and legislative contests.

“Where do you see that happen? Then, they will call me to tell me that we produce candidates for their party. Come on! Who does that?” he said.

Wike also dismissed allegations that Tinubu had agreed to concede nine states to him or members of the coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.

Challenging those making the allegation to identify the states involved, he said Nigerians should be presented with facts rather than speculation.

“The nine states, did they tell you the nine states?” he asked.
He added: “Let us help Nigerians. Let’s get the facts, which are those states? Tell us that they said the President agreed with me that he’s conceding nine states.”

Wike maintained that his political engagement with Tinubu was focused on securing the President’s re-election and mobilising support for his administration across political divides.

‘I am selling Tinubu’s record’
The minister said he intended to campaign for Tinubu based on the administration’s policies and what he described as its record in office.

“Mr. President is showing his postcard. We are selling Mr. President what he’s been doing, why he should be re-elected,” Wike said

He cited the Federal Government’s position on state police as one of the issues he would highlight in making the case for Tinubu’s re-election, describing the proposal as a response to longstanding calls for reform of Nigeria’s security architecture.

Wike’s comments came against the backdrop of an increasingly public disagreement between him and some APC governors over the Rainbow Coalition.

The Progressive Governors’ Forum has maintained that its members would support Tinubu and APC candidates in the 2027 elections and would not endorse arrangements capable of weakening the ruling party or its candidates.

Wike, however, has consistently maintained that his political commitment is to Tinubu’s re-election and that he has not pledged that PDP candidates would abandon contests for governorship and legislative seats.