By attacking APC Govs, you are sowing seed of discord like you did in PDP, join APC or step aside – Onoh tells Wike

Former South-East spokesman to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Denge Josef Onoh, has urged Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to formally join the All Progressives Congress (APC) or withdraw from the party’s internal affairs.

Onoh, who chairs the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, criticised the political alignment being promoted by Wike, describing it as a “Rainbow Coalition” that could undermine the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, Onoh described the coalition as a “Trojan horse” and alleged that it was designed to create divisions within the APC.

“This so-called ‘Rainbow Coalition’ is a toxic distraction, a political mirage, and a well-calculated vehicle for personal ambition that will ultimately undermine the All Progressives Congress and jeopardise the presidential election if left unchecked,” he said.

Onoh argued that the coalition did not constitute a sufficiently strong political bloc to deliver significant votes to President Tinubu outside Rivers State.

He claimed Wike’s political influence remained largely concentrated in Rivers State and questioned efforts to replicate what he described as a “fractured blueprint” across other geopolitical zones.

Onoh Rejects Comparison With G5

The former presidential spokesman also rejected comparisons between Wike’s current political alignment and the G5 governors’ alliance that emerged ahead of the 2023 elections.

According to him, the G5 was built around the issue of regional equity and comprised five serving governors who controlled political structures in their respective states.

Onoh recalled his involvement in efforts to strengthen the APC in the South-East while working with former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, arguing that political realignments often came with significant consequences for those involved.

He maintained that the current coalition lacked the institutional and electoral structures that characterised the G5.

“Today, Wike’s new ‘Rainbow Coalition’ has completely crumbled from that standard. It is not an alliance of powerful state executives; it is a desperate collection of political castaways, disgruntled ex-office holders, and floating political contractors who hold no real electoral value in their own political wards,” Onoh alleged.

He warned that attempts to use the coalition to influence the 2027 election could prove counterproductive for the APC.

Onoh Accuses Wike of Attacking APC Governors

Reacting to Wike’s recent disagreements with Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, Onoh described the disputes as a “diversionary tactic.”

He alleged that the FCT minister was creating political tensions in the North-Central and South-East in an attempt to weaken APC structures.

“By attacking highly respected APC governors who are the authentic custodians of the party’s grassroots votes, Wike is actively sowing the same seeds of discord that he used to tear the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) apart,” Onoh said.

He further alleged that Wike was attempting to influence the APC from within using political tactics similar to those he claimed contributed to divisions within the PDP.

Warning Against Split-Ticket Voting

Onoh also criticised what he described as efforts to promote cross-party voting, warning that such a strategy could weaken the APC’s representation in the National Assembly.

He argued that presidential and National Assembly elections are conducted concurrently and that encouraging voters to support the APC presidential candidate while voting for opposition candidates in legislative elections could affect the party’s ability to secure a majority.

“We cannot exchange a robust, organic party victory for a transactional arrangement,” he said.

Onoh cited the 2023 elections in Enugu State as an example, claiming that attempts to combine support for different parties at presidential and senatorial levels contributed to the PDP’s losses in the state.

He urged APC stakeholders to reject any attempt to establish what he described as a parallel political structure within the ruling party.

‘Wike Must Choose’

Onoh called on Wike to clarify his political allegiance, arguing that the minister could not maintain what he described as dual political loyalty while seeking to influence the APC’s internal affairs.

“Nigeria’s political space has no room for double agents, political rent-collectors, or part-time allegiance,” he said.

“You cannot have one foot in the PDP, keep the other foot floating in a vague coalition, and expect to dictate the fortunes and internal architecture of the APC.

“Our position is simple: either Nyesom Wike fully, formally and unconditionally registers as a card-carrying member of the APC at his political ward, or he must step aside immediately.”

Onoh maintained that the APC had sufficient structures and grassroots support to secure President Tinubu’s victory across the 36 states without what he described as Wike’s “damaging, self-serving distractions.”

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