Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have moved to distance the party from political alliances that could create divided loyalties ahead of the 2027 general elections, in what appears to be a direct setback to the cross-party coalition being championed by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), after its meeting in Abuja on Monday, declared that its members would exclusively back President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid and candidates contesting the 2027 elections on the APC platform.
Chairman of the forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, who spoke to journalists after the meeting, said the governors had unanimously resolved not to support any political arrangement capable of weakening the APC or undermining its candidates.
“The forum unanimously resolved that its members will not participate in, support, or endorse any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining the re-election of Mr president, weakening the APC or adversely affecting any candidate of the party at all levels,” Uzodimma, who was flanked by his colleagues, said.
“In other words, the forum has no intention to support any candidate at any level that is not an APC candidate.”
Uzodimma said the governors would direct their campaign machinery towards candidates officially sponsored by the APC, stressing that their political commitment ahead of the elections was to the party and its candidates at every level.
“Because our candidates are standing in the election as being sponsored by our party, the governor’s campaign commitment is exclusively to all APC candidates,” Uzodimma said.
The PGF chairman further ruled out arrangements that could create competing political interests within the APC, saying the governors would not entertain any structure capable of producing confusion or divided loyalty as the party prepares for the 2027 polls.
He added that the APC would deploy an integrated and locally responsive campaign structure, with every level of the party’s campaign architecture aligned with President Tinubu’s expectations and the strategic objectives of the party.
The position comes amid efforts led by Wike to build a “rainbow coalition” comprising politicians and groups across different political parties in support of Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid.
Wike, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and current FCT minister, had in January described the coalition as a departure from conventional party politics, saying it represented a collective political movement focused on advancing the interests of the country.
However, the PGF’s declaration that APC governors would not participate in or endorse alliances that could affect the party’s candidates appears to draw a clear line between the governors’ support for Tinubu and any broader cross-party arrangement that could influence other elective positions.
Wike was appointed FCT minister by President Tinubu in 2023 and has remained a prominent figure in efforts to mobilise political support for the President’s 2027 re-election.
