Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has asked the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to join the All Progressives Congress if he intends to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid while also participating in the party’s political activities.
Lawal made the statement during an interview with Channels Television’s Inside Sources on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday.
The governor said the position of APC governors on Wike’s involvement with the Rainbow Coalition remained unchanged, arguing that the FCT minister could not simultaneously support the APC at the presidential level and candidates of other political parties in other elections.
“Our message is very, very clear, be on one side. You can’t be on two sides,” Lawal said.
He added that if Wike wanted to support the APC, he should publicly align himself with the party rather than support it in one election while backing candidates on other platforms.
Asked whether the APC governors were effectively asking Wike to join the party, Lawal responded, “Exactly.”
The disagreement follows Wike’s continued support for Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid despite remaining a member of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Wike has defended his association with the Rainbow Coalition, describing it as a cross-party platform focused on mobilising support for Tinubu in the presidential election. He has argued that supporting Tinubu does not prevent politicians from backing candidates of their preferred parties in governorship and legislative elections.
The FCT minister has cited the experience of the G5 governors during the 2023 elections, when the group supported Tinubu for president while remaining affiliated with their respective political parties and supporting candidates in other contests.
Wike has also maintained that he is not an APC member. In an earlier interview, he said this was one reason he could not have headed the APC Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election, while reiterating his support for Tinubu’s presidential bid.
Lawal, however, said the APC governors wanted Wike to clarify his political allegiance ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Zamfara governor said he intended to discuss the matter with Tinubu when the President returns from his working visit to France.
“It’s something I will discuss with the President when he comes back. Let there be a clear line where this guy belongs to. It’s either he is in APC or he is out, simple,” Lawal said.
The comments reflect an ongoing disagreement between Wike and several APC governors over the Rainbow Coalition.
The Progressive Governors Forum, the umbrella body of APC governors, has opposed political arrangements that it says could undermine the ruling party, its candidates or Tinubu’s re-election campaign. Lawal said the governors would maintain that position despite Wike’s arguments in favour of the coalition.
Wike, on the other hand, has rejected the suggestion that the coalition threatens the APC. He has said its primary objective is to support Tinubu at the presidential level, while politicians remain free to contest or support candidates from their respective parties in other elections.
The minister has also maintained that his continued membership of the PDP does not prevent him from supporting Tinubu.
The disagreement is occurring as political parties and political actors organise for the 2027 general elections. The debate has also exposed differences within the wider political environment over whether presidential support should automatically translate into support for the ruling party’s candidates at other levels.
For Lawal and other APC governors, political allegiance should be clearly aligned with the party whose presidential candidate is being supported. Wike’s position is that the presidential contest can be treated separately from governorship and legislative elections.
Neither side has indicated that the disagreement has altered Wike’s stated support for Tinubu. The FCT minister has repeatedly said that securing Tinubu’s re-election is his major political objective, while also defending his right to remain in the PDP and participate in the Rainbow Coalition.
The issue is therefore likely to remain part of the political debate ahead of the 2027 elections as parties determine their candidates and political alliances take shape.
