The political disagreement surrounding FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken another turn, with Kano lawmaker Abdulmumin Jibrin arguing that the former Rivers State governor remains an important political ally of President Bola Tinubu.
Jibrin, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, described Wike as an “asset” to the APC and said the minister had made significant political sacrifices in support of the Tinubu administration.
Jibrin: Wike’s support has benefited APC
Jibrin argued that Wike’s influence should not be viewed solely through the lens of his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“There is no APC member today in Nigeria that has not directly or indirectly benefited from the effort of Wike,” Jibrin said during the television programme.
He specifically pointed to Wike’s political influence in Rivers State and his participation in the federal government as examples of what he described as contributions to the APC-led administration.
Jibrin also argued that Wike should not be publicly confronted or embarrassed over his political disagreements with APC figures.
Instead, he urged party stakeholders, particularly governors, to manage their differences with the minister through political dialogue.
Rivers State and the wider political calculation
One of the more significant claims made by Jibrin was that Wike’s political influence had helped strengthen the APC’s position in Rivers State.
Jibrin said Wike had effectively “handed over Rivers State to APC,” presenting the statement as part of his broader argument that the minister’s political activities have benefited Tinubu and the ruling party.
Wike was governor of Rivers State from 2015 to 2023 before President Tinubu appointed him Minister of the Federal Capital Territory in August 2023.
His continued involvement in national politics has remained unusual because he has served in an APC-led federal government while retaining his association with the PDP. That political arrangement has become increasingly important as politicians position themselves for the 2027 elections.
Fresh tension over Wike’s Rainbow Coalition
Jibrin’s intervention comes shortly after a fresh dispute between Wike and the APC Governors’ Forum.
The forum, chaired by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, recently said APC governors would not support political alliances or arrangements capable of weakening the party or affecting its candidates in the 2027 elections.
The position was widely linked to Wike’s “Rainbow Coalition”, a cross-party political arrangement through which he has been mobilising support for President Tinubu’s re-election.
Wike has maintained that his support for Tinubu does not mean the PDP should stop fielding candidates for governorship and legislative elections. He has also argued that supporting the president is different from supporting APC candidates in every election.
That distinction has become a major source of disagreement between Wike and some APC leaders.
Wike pushes back against APC governors
Wike has responded publicly to the governors’ position, describing their opposition to his political activities as misplaced.
In a recent television appearance, he said he had never approached APC governors to seek their participation in the Rainbow Coalition and argued that his commitment was specifically to supporting Tinubu at the presidential level.
He also criticised the governors for what he described as political laziness and questioned why support for Tinubu should automatically require support for APC candidates in other elections.
The disagreement therefore goes beyond Wike’s personal relationship with APC leaders. It touches on a broader question ahead of 2027: whether politicians supporting Tinubu from outside the APC should operate independently at state and legislative levels or align themselves with the ruling party’s candidates.
Jibrin calls for better coordination
Jibrin said the controversy should be managed carefully because the president’s political camp may involve several campaign structures rather than one central organisation.
He argued that multiple groups supporting Tinubu are not unusual in Nigerian politics but said they would need effective communication and coordination to avoid working against one another.
The lawmaker also disclosed that politicians belonging to opposition groups, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had contacted him over the public criticism directed at Wike.
According to Jibrin, the reactions from politicians outside the APC demonstrate that the handling of Wike could have implications beyond the ruling party itself.
He consequently called for greater support for Wike from the president and advised political actors to resolve disagreements privately rather than through public exchanges.
Why the dispute matters ahead of 2027
The latest development highlights the complicated political alliances taking shape ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections.
Wike occupies a particularly unusual position: he is a PDP figure serving in an APC-led federal administration while openly supporting Tinubu’s re-election bid. His political network and influence in Rivers State and beyond have consequently made him an important figure in the emerging campaign landscape.
At the same time, the APC Governors’ Forum has made clear that its members intend to protect the party’s candidates and structures at all levels.
This creates a potential point of friction between support for Tinubu’s presidential bid and support for APC candidates contesting other positions.
For now, Jibrin’s intervention adds another voice to the debate, arguing that Wike’s contribution to the administration should be recognised rather than publicly challenged.
The disagreement between Wike and some APC governors, however, remains unresolved, leaving the future shape of the Rainbow Coalition and its relationship with the APC’s formal campaign structure as issues to watch as the 2027 election cycle develops.
What readers should know next
- Abdulmumin Jibrin says Wike has made political sacrifices that have benefited Tinubu and the APC.
- Jibrin argues that Wike’s influence in Rivers State has strengthened the ruling party’s position there.
- The APC Governors’ Forum has rejected political arrangements it believes could weaken APC candidates.
- Wike maintains that supporting Tinubu does not require the PDP to withdraw candidates from other elections.
- The disagreement is likely to remain relevant as political parties and alliances prepare for the 2027 general elections.
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