Rivers, Kwara, Gombe, Cross River: Fear grips APC blocs as Wike’s Rainbow Coalition holds ground in key states

Powerful blocs within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are raising concerns over the growing influence of the National Rainbow Coalition, a political movement associated with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The coalition, which Wike says is primarily focused on mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, has nevertheless produced political alliances involving opposition politicians and aggrieved members of the APC who are challenging the ruling party’s candidates in governorship and legislative elections.

The development has generated particular attention in Rivers, Kwara, Gombe and Cross River states, where politicians associated with the coalition are involved in political realignments that could affect existing party structures.

APC governors and their allies have expressed concern that the arrangement could create a split-ticket voting pattern, with some voters supporting Tinubu for president while backing candidates outside the APC in other elections.

Wike, however, has maintained that his political commitment is specifically to Tinubu and does not prevent politicians supporting the President from pursuing their interests in governorship and legislative contests.

Wike Accuses Uzodimma, AbdulRazaq

Speaking during a media chat in Port Harcourt, Wike accused Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma, and Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, of campaigning against him.

“Take, for example, Kwara; he has been the one championing this campaign against me. Yes, I have confronted him too. I don’t talk about what I cannot defend,” Wike said.

The minister alleged that AbdulRazaq had accused him of sponsoring candidates against the governor’s preferred choices in Kwara.

Wike argued that the coalition had provided a political platform for aggrieved APC members who might otherwise have joined groups opposed to Tinubu.

Rivers: Coalition Creates New Political Alignment

Rivers State has emerged as one of the most complicated areas of the coalition’s activities, with politicians drawn from the PDP, APC, Labour Party and other political groups participating in the emerging alignment.

The coalition began gaining prominence in January 2026 amid the political crisis involving Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara. Its political calculations changed further after Fubara joined the APC.

The coalition has since become a factor in discussions around the 2027 governorship election, particularly following its reported backing of former PDP Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda.

Chinda, a former PDP lawmaker, appeared before the APC screening committee after his defection, although aspects of the process have reportedly become subject to litigation.

His emergence has also generated concerns among some coalition members from riverine communities, who reportedly believe that the governorship ticket should have gone to a candidate from the area.

The coalition subsequently selected Major Jack, the Majority Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, as Chinda’s running mate.

The development has created an unusual political situation in which politicians operating under the broader coalition umbrella could belong to, or contest through, different political parties.

Kwara Becomes Another Flashpoint

Kwara State has also become a major point of tension between the APC’s established structure and politicians aligned with the Rainbow Coalition.

The disagreement intensified after aggrieved APC members joined forces with former Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Wike-backed PDP structure in the state.

Senator Saliu Mustapha, who contested the APC governorship primary and subsequently became involved in a dispute over his return to the Senate, later resigned from the APC and joined the PDP.

He was subsequently given the PDP ticket for Kwara Central, setting up a political contest involving Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

Another APC chieftain, Kolo Jiya, also left the party for the PDP, while two members of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Olushola Odetundun and Saba Yisa Gideon, defected to the opposition party.

The aggrieved politicians subsequently regrouped under the Otoge Progressives, T.O.P., and formally launched the Kwara chapter of the National Rainbow Coalition on August 26, 2026.

Members of the coalition have maintained that their arrangement allows participants to support Tinubu at the presidential level while retaining freedom to support candidates of other parties in state and legislative elections.

Pantami’s Defection Adds to Gombe’s Political Calculations

Gombe State has also witnessed a significant political realignment following the movement of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, to the PDP with the backing of politicians associated with the Rainbow Coalition.

The development has added another dimension to the coalition’s activities, with supporters seeking to maintain their support for Tinubu while opposing or challenging APC structures at the state level.

The situation reflects the broader political question facing the APC as the 2027 elections approach: whether support for Tinubu at the presidential level can coexist with support for opposition candidates in other elections.

Cross River Sees APC-PDP Realignment

Cross River State is another area where the coalition’s activities have attracted attention.

The PDP has an active governorship candidate, Arthur Jarvis, alongside candidates for the Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly.

Reports also indicate that about 500 APC members recently defected to the PDP in the state.

The movement has further complicated the political calculations in a state where the APC and opposition parties are preparing for the 2027 contests.

Why APC Governors Are Concerned

At the heart of the disagreement is the question of whether politicians supporting Tinubu should also support APC candidates contesting other positions.

The Progressive Governors Forum has made its position clear.

Speaking with journalists after an APC Governors Forum meeting in Abuja, Uzodimma said the governors had resolved not to participate in or support political arrangements that could weaken the APC or its candidates.

“The APC Governors 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 said.

He added that APC governors would campaign for the party’s candidates across all levels.

“In other words, the forum has no intention to support any candidate at any level that is not an APC candidate because our candidates who are contesting the election are being sponsored by our party,” he said.

Uzodimma further stated that the APC’s campaign structure would be aligned with Tinubu’s agenda and the strategic objectives of the party.

“The governors’ campaign commitment is exclusively to all APC candidates. All levels of the party campaign architecture will align with the expectations of Mr President and the strategic objectives of the party,” he added.

Wike Maintains His Support Is for Tinubu

Wike has remained firm in his position that his support for the 2027 presidential election is specifically for Tinubu.

In a statement attributed to him through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the minister said he had never agreed that the PDP would abandon its candidates in other elections.

“What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the re-election of the President. I never promised anyone that PDP will not field candidates to contest governorship, National Assembly and States House of Assembly elections,” Wike said.

He also rejected the suggestion that the Rainbow Coalition was an arrangement with the APC.

“Most importantly, Rainbow Coalition has nothing to do with the APC. Rather, it is our own way of mobilising support across political parties for Mr President, who has done well to deserve a second term,” he said.

Wike Challenges APC Governors Over 2023 Results

Wike also challenged Uzodimma’s argument that supporting candidates outside the APC could undermine Tinubu’s electoral prospects.

He cited the 2023 elections in Imo, Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu states, where APC candidates won some legislative seats despite the party recording a significantly lower share of the presidential vote in those states.

“Was it Rainbow Coalition that also made APC to win National Assembly elections in Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu states where the president did not have ten per cent of the votes?” Wike asked.

The exchange highlights the broader political disagreement ahead of the 2027 elections over whether support for a presidential candidate must extend to candidates of the same party at the state and legislative levels.

While APC governors insist their campaign structure must support the party’s complete ticket, Wike and his allies maintain that their coalition is a cross-party platform focused on Tinubu’s presidential bid.

With political alignments continuing to shift across several states, the issue is likely to remain a major subject of negotiations and disagreements among the parties and political blocs ahead of the 2027 elections.

Follow Very Nigerian WhatsApp Channel
For Verified Breaking News, Exclusive Reports, Trending Stories, And Real-time Updates.
CLICk HERE TO JOIN!