Several state chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have rejected the Rainbow Coalition being promoted by Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and are calling on him to formally join the ruling party.

Wike, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), launched the coalition to back President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. But his arrangement — supporting Tinubu for president while allowing other parties to field candidates for governorship and legislative seats — has drawn sharp criticism from APC officials across the country.

The latest push came from Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, who told Wike to pick a side. Speaking on Channels Television in New York during the 81st United Nations General Assembly, Lawal said the APC governors’ position has not changed. “Be on one side. You can’t be on two sides. If you’re in APC, please come out and support APC. Not you’re supporting APC here, and you’re supporting other political parties somewhere else. It doesn’t make sense. It’s not done anywhere,” he said. Lawal added that he plans to raise the matter with President Tinubu, insisting there must be a clear line on where Wike belongs.

State chapters weigh in

In Imo State, APC Publicity Secretary Jones Onwuasoanya said Wike is trying to keep an ambiguous political position. “Decency demands that an individual who claims so much allegiance to the philosophies and programmes of a political party should fully align with that political party, rather than playing hide and seek with his loyalty,” he told The PUNCH.

Gombe’s APC Publicity Secretary, Murtala Usman, warned the coalition could cause confusion within the ruling party. “So Wike should switch to APC completely. Since he is doing the work of APC, let him be a full member, not a partial member,” he said.

Ondo State party secretary Alex Kalejaiye said the arrangement is unacceptable because it only supports Tinubu while fielding candidates for other positions. “To us in Ondo State, support for the candidates of the ruling party must be total,” he said, appealing to Wike to collapse his structures into the APC.

Plateau State APC chairman Rufus Bature said the party had no knowledge of any Rainbow Coalition structure in the state, noting it was “condemned totally” for every state at a recent retreat in Maiduguri. “He cannot be APC in the morning and PDP in the night. We won’t allow that,” he said, suggesting Wike may be building a platform for future elections.

Nasarawa’s Publicity Secretary, Augustine Ogaba, said the chapter appreciated Wike’s support for Tinubu but “we will be happier if he joins our party.” Bayelsa chieftain Doubara Joseph echoed that view: “You cannot claim to be working for the President while simultaneously sustaining another political platform.”

Kwara State APC chairman Sunday Fagbemi called the coalition’s strategy “a grand deception and a confusing strategy,” noting that presidential, senatorial and House of Representatives elections are held on the same day.

Some states welcome him

Not all chapters are opposed. Jigawa’s APC Publicity Secretary, Bashir Kundu, said the state welcomes Wike’s contribution and would gladly receive him if he joins. He noted the APC itself was born from a coalition of parties and can accommodate politicians from different backgrounds.

Others stay cautious

Some state chapters declined to take a position, saying the matter should be decided by the national leadership. Osun spokesman Kola Olabisi said the question is “beyond the state level,” while Delta chairman Solomon Arenyeka said the state is awaiting a formal position from the national body. Sokoto chairman Haruna Adiya said his chapter has no member in the coalition, and Niger’s spokesman Musa Sarkin-Kaji said the party has no formal relationship with Wike.

Wike’s defence

Wike has consistently rejected claims that his coalition is an APC structure or intended to undermine the ruling party. In a statement issued by his aide Lere Olayinka, he said the coalition’s support is specifically for Tinubu’s re-election and does not prevent other parties from contesting other seats. He has argued his position mirrors the pre-2023 arrangement when he and other G5 members backed Tinubu without joining the APC, and that “politics is local.”

PDP insists he remains theirs

Despite the courtship from the APC, some PDP figures say Wike is still one of them. In Abia State, PDP deputy governorship candidate Abraham Amah described the APC’s invitation as political courting, adding, “one thing is certain: that he remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, and he is the national leader of the party.”