I would resist alternative candidate sponsored against me as Governor – Orji Kalu speaks on Wike, APC Govs feud

The lawmaker representing Abia North Senatorial District, Orji Uzor Kalu, has weighed in on the growing disagreement between the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors Forum and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

Wike has maintained that his political support is for President Bola Tinubu rather than the APC, a position that has contributed to tensions with some APC governors over political arrangements ahead of the 2027 elections.

Kalu, in a post on his Facebook page, said governors would naturally resist any attempt to sponsor alternative candidates against them in their respective states.

The former Abia State governor said he would equally oppose such an arrangement if he were in a governor’s position.

“Some governors have a very good case. I cannot be a governor and you are sponsoring an alternative candidate in my state. I will not allow that to happen,” Kalu said.

However, Kalu urged both the governors and Wike to put aside their differences and work together towards Tinubu’s re-election.

He appealed to the governors and the FCT minister, who also served as governor of Rivers State, to avoid allowing their disagreement to distract from the ongoing campaign.

“I appeal to the governors as Minister Nyesom Wike, who used to be governor. We should not quarrel at this time of our campaign. Campaign is not done in Abuja, so we should go back to the grassroots,” he said.

Kalu also called on both sides to “pull their swords back,” stressing that the APC Governors Forum and Wike each have political strengths that would be useful to the ruling party’s campaign.

“Both parties should pull their swords back. We need the governors’ forum very well, and we also need Minister Wike very well.

“I think the governors have their own strengths and Minister Wike has his own strengths too,” he said.

The disagreement between Wike and some APC governors has centred largely on the political strategy of his proposed Rainbow Coalition, which he has said is primarily aimed at supporting Tinubu while allowing members to back candidates from other parties in some legislative and state-level contests.

Some APC governors have opposed arrangements that could see candidates outside the APC receive support in their states, arguing that such moves could affect the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections.

Kalu’s comments come amid continuing calls within the ruling political camp for the various groups to resolve their differences and coordinate their efforts ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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