Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has called on Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike to formally register with the All Progressives Congress (APC) or disband his multi-party Rainbow Coalition, insisting that supporting President Bola Tinubu while backing non-APC candidates in other 2027 races creates political conflict.
Speaking on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Inside Sources in New York, which was conducted on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, Lawal affirmed that APC governors remain firmly opposed to Wike’s cross-party strategy.
“Our message is very, very clear: Be on one side. You can’t be in 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,” Lawal stated.
“And that is why we maintain our stand, and it is very clear—the message is very clear. He can speak, he can say whatever he wants to say, but our position has been very, very clear: APC all the way from head to toe,” he added.
Lawal indicated that he plans to address Wike’s political role directly with President Tinubu once the President returns to Nigeria, insisting that a clear boundary must be drawn regarding party alignment.
“It’s something that I will take up with the President when he comes back. So, let there be a very, very clear line where this guy belongs to. It’s either he’s in APC or he’s out. It’s simple. And I go with my brothers, the governors,” Lawal said.
The controversy stems from Wike’s advocacy for the Rainbow Coalition, a platform designed to build cross-party backing for Tinubu’s re-election while permitting other political platforms, such as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to compete freely in governorship and legislative elections. Wike has defended the movement by pointing to the precedent set by the G5 governors during the 2023 election cycle.
However, APC governors reject any arrangement that could compromise APC candidates in local and state-level contests.