Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike on Wednesday rejected suggestions that his support for President Bola Tinubu implied any agreement to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Responding to the APC Governors’ Forum’s dismissal of his proposed “Rainbow Coalition” ahead of the 2027 elections, Wike clarified his position in an interview with Arise News. The forum, chaired by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, had stated that APC governors would back only the party’s own candidates.
Wike insisted he had always made clear that his commitment was limited to supporting Tinubu and did not involve defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“I said I will support the President from day one. I never told Mr. President I will join APC. Go and ask him. If I want to join APC, it’s not people like Hope who will tell me to join APC,” Wike said.
He added that Uzodimma was “lucky” he was not an APC member, saying he would not tolerate “that kind of rubbish” allegedly occurring within the party.
Wike has maintained that backing Tinubu for the presidency does not require politicians to abandon their parties or refrain from supporting candidates in other contests. He has described the Rainbow Coalition as a cross-party platform aimed at mobilising support for the president while allowing parties to field their own candidates for governorship and legislative races.
