President Bola Tinubu is expected to step in amid the escalating standoff between All Progressives Congress governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in the run-up to the 2027 elections.
A senior presidential aide who is familiar with the situation and spoke exclusively to The PUNCH on condition of anonymity, since he was not authorized to comment on the matter, said Tinubu was expected to engage the parties in an effort to settle their differences.
The source added that the intervention would likely happen abroad before the week ends.
President Tinubu is presently holidaying in France.
Wike, a leader of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party who serves as the FCT minister in the APC-led Federal Government, has been promoting the Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State in support of Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
Wike, who has been at odds with some APC governors, alleged during a recent media chat that Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and his Imo counterpart Hope Uzodimma were behind his recent political challenges.
According to Wike, the governors’ opposition stemmed from the growing national reach of his Rainbow Coalition, which he said was giving a platform to politicians seeking to challenge APC candidates in governorship and senatorial elections.
In what appeared to be a response to Wike, Uzodimma, who chairs the APC Progressive Governors’ Forum, said after the forum’s meeting in Abuja on Monday night that APC governors would not back any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining Tinubu’s re-election or weakening the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Uzodimma stressed that the governors’ campaign commitment was solely to APC candidates at all levels.
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Wike, however, defended the coalition, maintaining that the alliance was meant to support Tinubu’s presidential bid while strengthening the PDP in other electoral contests against the APC.
He argued that his support for Tinubu did not amount to an endorsement of APC candidates across the states, insisting that he remained free to support candidates of his choice.
The former Rivers State governor also accused the APC governors of being politically weak and lacking the capacity to secure victory in their respective states.
Meanwhile, two APC leaders told our correspondent exclusively on Wednesday that the disagreement between Wike and the governors was also tied to political calculations for 2031, the leadership of the 11th National Assembly, and Wike’s mobilization of support for PDP candidates seeking to challenge the governors and their allies in other elective positions.
As a result, several APC leaders and other stakeholders have expressed concern that, if left unresolved, the crisis could undermine President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
However, the senior presidential aide disclosed that Tinubu would intervene to broker peace and stop Wike and the governors from working at cross-purposes.
The source stated, “You know, the president is the leader of the party and the father of the nation. The interesting aspect is that the governors and the minister are all working in the interest of the president and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“So, of course, President Tinubu will intervene in the face-off between the All Progressives Congress governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. There will be an intervention to broker a truce and resolve whatever differences exist between them, ensuring that all parties work together ahead of the coming election.
“The intervention is likely to take place abroad before the end of the week.”
In a related development, APC leaders in the Southeast have come out strongly in support of Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma and the Progressive Governors’ Forum, while brushing aside the latest criticisms from Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike.
This stance is contained in a joint statement signed by the APC National Vice Chairman for the South-East, Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, along with the party chairmen of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo. The statement was released to journalists in Abuja on Thursday.
Calling Wike’s remarks “most unfortunate, reprehensible, and completely unacceptable,” the South-East APC urged the minister to retract his attacks and embrace “party discipline, mutual respect, and collective responsibility.”
The statement noted that the Progressive Governors are elected, performance-driven leaders whose records and electoral accomplishments—such as winning over 25 percent of the presidential vote in their states in 2023—deserve respect. It claimed Wike was trying to sway the political prospects of serving APC governors ahead of the 2027 elections and emphasized that a minister holds no power over elected governors.
“It is even more disturbing that Wike’s increasing habit of insulting, belittling, and scheming to remove sitting Progressive Governors in 2027 grows by the day,” the leaders said.
They also dismissed what they termed a “rainbow (chameleon) coalition” in the South-East, cautioning that the APC would oppose any move to weaken its regional structures. The statement said, “We in the Southeast stand solidly with all Progressive Governors and candidates of our party at all levels in the forthcoming 2027 elections.”
The South-East leaders further stated that the APC is “bigger than any individual” and called on members to back the party’s candidates—from President Bola Tinubu down to State Houses of Assembly—in 2027.
