ABUJA, Nigeria — Fresh political manoeuvring may be underway within the ruling All Progressives Congress as some governors reportedly explore contacts with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress amid concerns over the expanding political influence of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike.
The alleged contacts are said to be part of efforts by some APC governors to develop alternative political relationships as Wike continues to mobilise politicians from different parties under his Rainbow Coalition in support of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, reports Daily Independent.
Political sources familiar with the development told Daily Independent correspondent that the governors’ concerns extend beyond the presidential election to the possible impact of the coalition on the balance of power in their respective states.
The development comes amid an increasingly open disagreement between Wike and some APC governors over the coalition.
The Progressive Governors’ Forum, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, has maintained that APC governors would not support political arrangements capable of weakening the party or its candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
Wike, however, has consistently argued that his coalition is focused on securing support for Tinubu at the presidential level without preventing participating politicians from pursuing their individual ambitions in governorship and National Assembly contests.
That position has brought him into conflict with some APC governors, particularly Uzodimma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Wike on Tuesday also named Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun among governors opposed to his coalition.
According to one of the sources, some APC governors are particularly concerned about the possibility of politicians who lost party primaries or became dissatisfied with internal party arrangements using the Rainbow Coalition as a platform to build alternative political structures.
“They are looking beyond 2027. The issue is what happens at the state level after the presidential election and whether politicians working with the coalition could eventually emerge as governors and later realign with the APC,” the source said.
The source cited Nigeria’s recent political history, where elected opposition governors have defected to the ruling party, as part of the reason for the governors’ concerns about alliances that could eventually alter the political balance in their states.
Against that background, the source said Atiku and the ADC were among the alternatives being considered by some of the affected governors.
The reported strategy, however, would not necessarily involve immediate defections from the APC.
Rather, the governors could establish political contacts with opposition blocs as a counterweight to Wike’s expanding network, the source said.
The development is particularly significant as Atiku has emerged as a leading figure in the ADC-backed opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.
Wike has rejected claims that his Rainbow Coalition is intended to undermine the APC.
He has also dismissed reports that Tinubu agreed to concede nine states to the coalition, challenging those making the allegation to identify the states supposedly covered by such an arrangement.
The minister has maintained that politicians participating in the coalition remain free to contest governorship and legislative elections on their respective party platforms while supporting Tinubu for president.
But APC governors have insisted that their support for Tinubu should extend to candidates of the ruling party at other levels of the election.
The widening disagreement has introduced another dimension to the political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections, with politicians from the APC, ADC, PDP and other parties increasingly positioning themselves around competing alliances.
Sources said the governors allegedly exploring contacts with Atiku were seeking to preserve political options should the Rainbow Coalition gain greater influence in their states before or after the 2027 elections.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official confirmation from the APC leadership or the Progressive Governors’ Forum of the alleged contacts with Atiku or the ADC. Neither Atiku’s camp nor the ADC had officially confirmed or denied the reported discussions.
