EXCLUSIVE: Some APC Governors move to align with Atiku, ADC amid rift with Wike’s Rainbow Coalition

Some governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are reportedly exploring contact with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) amid concerns over the political activities of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Wike, who is leading the emerging Rainbow Coalition in support of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, has maintained that the group’s backing for the President does not extend to APC candidates contesting governorship and legislative elections.

The position has reportedly unsettled some APC governors, particularly those who fear that the coalition could establish political structures capable of affecting their interests during the 2027 elections.

According to Business Day on Tuesday, some aggrieved governors were considering alternative political arrangements, including possible engagement with Atiku and the ADC.

A promoter of the Tinubu Continuity Project in Northern Nigeria claimed that some dissatisfied APC governors had begun exploring other options.

“We have witnessed several defections by opposition governors to the APC in recent times. The threats are therefore real. I’m aware some of our aggrieved governors are seeking other alternatives, including a possible alliance with Atiku,” the source said.

According to the source, the governors’ concern was not necessarily about the possibility of Tinubu losing the presidential election, but about Wike’s reported plans for the governorship contests.

“The governors are not afraid of Tinubu losing his re-election. Their concern is Wike’s claim that the President has already ceded nine states to the coalition in the governorship election,” the source said.

The source added that Tinubu would not be seeking another presidential term after 2027 and, therefore, would have less at stake in the governorship contests.

“Tinubu will not be seeking another election after 2027, and it would cost him practically nothing to cede some states, as Wike claimed,” the source added.

A member of the Arewa Mandate Alliance also confirmed that some dissatisfied APC governors were exploring political options outside the ruling party.

The source said the governors were particularly concerned about the possibility of Wike building political structures that could compete with their existing structures while simultaneously supporting Tinubu’s presidential campaign.

“The question is why should Wike be allowed to build alternative structures against them while still claiming to support the President?” the source asked.

The concerns are reportedly more pronounced in states where politicians who lost APC primary elections or became estranged from the party have moved closer to Wike’s coalition.

One of the sources said Atiku and the ADC were consequently being considered by some of the aggrieved governors as a possible political network through which they could protect their interests and counter the influence of the coalition.

“Atiku and the ADC are consequently being examined as an alternative political network through which the aggrieved governors could protect their structures and counter the coalition’s influence,” the source said.

The sources also identified the staggered election timetable as another factor influencing the political calculations of governors and other political actors ahead of 2027.

According to the timetable cited by the sources, the presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State House of Assembly elections are slated for February 6.

“Whatever happens at the presidential election, the governorship election comes three weeks later. That creates a completely different political calculation for the governors,” another source said.

The reported consultations come amid increasing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with politicians and political groups weighing alliances and strategies for both the presidential and sub-national contests.

Credit: Business Day

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