Tinubu Wike APC governors tensions deepen as Aliyu Farouk says the President may reject Wike’s criticism of ruling-party governors
Aliyu Farouk, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is unlikely to welcome recent criticism by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike against APC governors as political disagreements intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
Also read: Adebayo Accuses Tinubu of Neglecting Nigerians’ Welfare
Farouk made the assessment during an appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Thursday, a day after Wike defended his Rainbow Coalition and criticised APC governors who had opposed the political initiative.
Wike had described the governors as “politically lazy” after the Progressive Governors Forum rejected political arrangements that could weaken the APC or undermine Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
The dispute centres on a fundamental difference over how support for Tinubu should operate at the 2027 elections.
Wike, a senior figure in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party who serves in Tinubu’s APC-led Federal Government, has said his Rainbow Coalition is designed to mobilise support for the President at the presidential level without preventing opposition parties from presenting candidates in governorship and legislative contests.
Wike has also insisted that he never approached the APC Governors Forum seeking an alliance. “I have never approached APC governors for any Rainbow Coalition,” he said during an Arise Television interview, arguing that his political activities were separate from the governors’ own campaign structures.
The APC Governors Forum, however, has taken a different position.
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, chairman of the forum, said after a closed-door meeting in Abuja that APC governors would not support or endorse any alliance capable of undermining Tinubu’s re-election, weakening the APC or adversely affecting the party’s candidates at any level.
Farouk said the APC was working towards a unified campaign structure that would operate nationally and across the states, with governors expected to lead campaign activities in their respective states.
“We cannot stop Wike from speaking the way he does or saying whatever he wants. But as a party, we resent that kind of comment,” Farouk said.
“We are not happy with the way he called our governors, and I’m sure Mr President will not be happy either.”
Farouk’s comments are an assessment of Tinubu’s likely reaction. There has been no direct public statement from the President confirming that he is unhappy with Wike’s remarks.
The APC chieftain also questioned Wike’s assertion that his political activities had been discussed with, or agreed upon by, Tinubu.
“And if he said he had meetings or an arrangement with Mr President, well, we in the APC are not privy to that,” Farouk said, adding that party members should avoid turning the disagreement into a public confrontation.
The tension emerged after the APC Governors Forum publicly distanced itself from Wike’s coalition initiative.
The governors said they had not entered into any formal agreement with an individual or opposition party ahead of the election and reaffirmed their commitment to the APC’s political structure.
Wike subsequently challenged the governors’ position, arguing that supporting Tinubu for president did not require him to prevent the PDP or other parties from fielding candidates in other elections.
His position highlights an unusual political arrangement. Although Wike remains associated with the PDP, he is serving as FCT minister under Tinubu and is openly supporting the President’s 2027 re-election bid.
The disagreement has therefore raised questions about whether presidential support can be separated from the wider electoral interests of the party seeking to return Tinubu to office.
For the APC, Farouk’s remarks suggest that maintaining a coordinated campaign structure will be an important consideration as the election approaches.
For Wike, the Rainbow Coalition remains focused on securing presidential support for Tinubu while allowing competition for other elected positions.
The latest exchange does not establish a formal rupture between Tinubu and Wike.
Instead, it exposes a growing disagreement among political actors supporting the President over how that support should translate into electoral organisation across the states.
Also read: Adebayo Accuses Tinubu of Neglecting Nigerians’ Welfare
As the 2027 campaign takes shape, the Tinubu Wike APC governors dispute is likely to remain closely watched, particularly in states where presidential, governorship and legislative interests may not align neatly.
