A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Joe Igbokwe, has called on Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to engage the party’s governors and explain the purpose of his proposed Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Igbokwe made the appeal while commenting on the disagreement between Wike and APC governors over the political initiative, which is aimed at mobilising support across party lines for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
The disagreement followed Wike’s criticism of APC governors after they rejected his proposed cross-party coalition. Wike had described the governors as “politically lazy”.
In response, the chairman of the APC Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, said the governors would not back any political arrangement capable of weakening the APC or affecting Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Reacting to the development, Igbokwe said Wike remained a significant political figure whose influence should not be ignored.
“Wike is a critical stakeholder? You can ignore him to your own peril. He has a command. He has the followers,” Igbokwe said.
However, the APC chieftain questioned the timing and manner in which Wike introduced the Rainbow Coalition. He said the FCT minister should consult with APC governors and make his intentions clear to them.
“Coming at this time, to put this (Rainbow Coalition) on the table, it’s not… he has to listen to majority, sit down with the governors and explain,” he said.
Igbokwe said the disagreement would be better handled through dialogue instead of public exchanges between Wike and the governors.
“No man is an Island. Explain to your colleagues what you are trying to do,” he added.
The comments come amid continuing discussions among APC members and other political stakeholders over political strategies and alliances ahead of the 2027 general election.
