Reported by Simon Daniel Yusuph l Journalist at Weng Global
A fresh political disagreement over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid has drawn a strong response from the South-East, with former South-East spokesman to the President, Denge Josef Onoh, backing the position of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors against the political arrangement promoted by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike.
Onoh, who is also chairman of the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, said he supported the position of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), chaired by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, which has rejected political arrangements that could weaken the APC or affect its candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The development comes amid an increasingly public disagreement between Wike and APC governors over his proposed “Rainbow Coalition”, a cross-party political platform that Wike says is intended to mobilise support for Tinubu’s presidential re-election while allowing politicians to retain their party identities and contest other positions independently.
The dispute has opened a wider debate within the ruling political establishment over whether support for Tinubu at the presidential level can be separated from support for APC candidates contesting governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.
South-East APC Voice Backs Governors
Onoh’s intervention adds a South-East dimension to the disagreement.
In a statement reported by Nigerian media, he expressed support for the Progressive Governors Forum and its position against Wike’s political arrangement. He argued that the governors were acting to protect the cohesion and electoral structure of the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
Onoh has previously criticised the Rainbow Coalition and called on Wike to either formally join the APC or refrain from involving himself in the internal affairs of the ruling party.
His latest position reflects concerns among some APC figures that a cross-party structure could create competing political networks in states where APC governors and candidates are already preparing for the next election.
However, Onoh’s position should not be interpreted as a formal resolution by all APC members or political stakeholders across the South-East. It is an intervention by a prominent APC-linked figure and former presidential spokesman from the region.
APC Governors Draw a Line
The dispute intensified after APC governors met in Abuja and declared that they would not participate in, support or endorse any political alliance capable of weakening the party or adversely affecting APC candidates.
The position was announced by Uzodimma, who chairs the Progressive Governors Forum.
The governors’ concern centres on the possibility that politicians could support Tinubu for president while backing candidates from other parties in governorship and legislative contests.
For the governors, maintaining the APC’s organisational structure and electoral machinery remains central to the party’s strategy for 2027.
The development has therefore created a distinction between two approaches to Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
One approach, represented by the APC governors, emphasises party structures and coordinated support for APC candidates at different levels.
The other, advanced by Wike, places greater emphasis on building a broader coalition of politicians from different parties around Tinubu’s presidential candidacy.
Wike Says Coalition Is Separate From APC
Wike has rejected the suggestion that his Rainbow Coalition is intended to undermine the APC.
The FCT Minister has maintained that his support is specifically for Tinubu’s presidential re-election and does not amount to an agreement that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of which he remains a member, should abandon its candidates in other elections.
Speaking in response to the APC governors, Wike argued that presidential and sub-national elections could produce different voting patterns.
He pointed to the 2023 elections, when voters in several states supported candidates from different political parties across presidential, senatorial and other contests.
Wike has argued that the same voting pattern could occur in 2027, with politicians from different parties supporting Tinubu for president while continuing to contest other positions under their respective party platforms.
He has also said he did not approach the APC governors seeking an alliance with them.
The minister further stated that he had informed Tinubu about the political coalition he was developing.
The Governors’ Concern Over Divided Loyalty
The APC governors’ position reflects a broader concern about divided political loyalties ahead of the 2027 elections.
The governors are responsible for political structures in their respective states and are expected to mobilise support for APC candidates during the election cycle.
A cross-party presidential coalition could, depending on how it operates, place some politicians in a position where they support Tinubu for president but oppose APC candidates in other contests.
That possibility is at the centre of the disagreement.
The governors have therefore drawn a distinction between supporting the President and supporting a political structure that could compete with the APC’s candidates.
Their position is that any political mobilisation for Tinubu should not undermine the party’s candidates or established structures.
South-East Politics Adds Another Dimension
The disagreement is particularly significant for the South-East because APC leaders in the region have already taken a public position on Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid.
In January 2026, APC governors and major party stakeholders from the South-East endorsed Tinubu for a second term at a stakeholders’ meeting in Enugu.
The meeting involved Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu and other party leaders.
The stakeholders declared their support for Tinubu and said the region would align with the APC-led Federal Government in pursuit of political representation and development.
That earlier endorsement established a significant APC position in the region ahead of the 2027 election.
The latest intervention by Onoh therefore comes against the background of an already stated South-East APC commitment to Tinubu.
It also highlights the importance of maintaining coordination among party leaders as political activity intensifies.
Tinubu’s 2027 Campaign Faces Competing Political Structures
The dispute between Wike and the APC governors is unfolding as political actors across Nigeria begin positioning themselves for the 2027 general elections.
Tinubu’s political camp has continued to attract support from politicians across party lines, while opposition parties and groups are also exploring alliances and possible common platforms.
Wike occupies an unusual position in the current political landscape.
He remains associated with the PDP while serving as a minister in Tinubu’s administration and publicly supporting the President’s re-election.
His approach allows him to argue that support for a presidential candidate does not necessarily require political alignment at every other level of an election.
The APC governors, however, are emphasising party discipline and the need to protect candidates contesting under the APC platform.
The disagreement is consequently not only about Wike’s coalition but also about how political alliances should operate in a multi-party electoral system.
Why the Dispute Matters
The controversy matters because Nigeria’s 2027 elections will involve several contests taking place within the same electoral cycle.
Presidential, governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and state assembly elections generate different political calculations and alliances.
The 2023 elections demonstrated that Nigerian voters could support candidates from different political parties across different ballots.
Wike has used that history to argue that Tinubu can receive presidential support from politicians whose parties continue to compete against APC candidates elsewhere.
The APC governors are taking a different organisational approach, insisting that their political commitment extends to the party’s candidates at all levels.
How these competing strategies develop could influence the way political parties organise their campaigns, negotiate alliances and mobilise voters before the 2027 polls.
Onoh’s Position and the Broader South-East Debate
Onoh’s intervention also shows that the Rainbow Coalition debate is not limited to Abuja or the relationship between Wike and the APC governors.
The South-East has become an important political arena ahead of 2027, particularly because APC leaders in the region have publicly declared support for Tinubu.
At the same time, political interests within the zone remain diverse, and the January APC endorsement does not mean every voter or political organisation in the South-East shares the same position.
The political significance of Onoh’s statement therefore lies primarily in his support for the APC governors’ organisational position and his rejection of a coalition structure that he believes could create competing political interests within the ruling party.
What Happens Next
The immediate focus will be on whether the disagreement between Wike and the APC governors can be resolved through political consultations or whether the competing approaches will continue into the 2027 campaign season.
Wike has maintained that his coalition is designed to support Tinubu and is separate from the APC.
The governors, meanwhile, have reaffirmed their commitment to the APC and its candidates.
For the South-East, the issue is likely to remain significant as regional APC leaders balance support for Tinubu with the party’s interests in governorship and legislative contests.
As political parties prepare for the 2027 elections, further negotiations, alliances and disagreements are expected to shape the emerging political landscape.
For now, the central disagreement remains clear: Wike is advocating a broader, cross-party mobilisation around Tinubu’s presidential candidacy, while APC governors are insisting that political support for the President should not come at the expense of the party’s candidates and structures.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- Vanguard
- The Guardian Nigeria
- THISDAY
- P.M. News
- The Punch
- BusinessDay
- The Authority
