By Agbonavbare Victor Omoregbe .

The growing rivalry among political actors ahead of the 2027 general elections, coupled with emerging ambitions for the 2031 presidency, has highlighted tensions between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and governors of the All Progressives Congress, with the development threatening to complicate President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Wike, who is serving in the APC-led Federal Government, has been promoting a Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State to support President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

In the late hours of Monday night, the Chairman of the APC’s Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, in an indirect attack at Wike said the ruling party governors would not support any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining the re-election of President Tinubu or weakening the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Uzodimma maintained that the governors’ campaign commitment remained exclusively to APC candidates at all levels.

However, Wike defended his Rainbow Coalition, insisting that the alliance was aimed at supporting President Tinubu while strengthening the opposition Peoples Democratic Party against the APC in other electoral contests.

He said his support for Tinubu did not amount to supporting APC candidates across the states, stressing that he remained free to support candidates of his choice.

Meanwhile, the camp of the People's Democratic Party Interim National Working Committee led by Tanimu Turaki Senior Advocate Nigeria mocked Tinubu and the All Progressive Congress governors over the development, as the National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, added that the ruling party and the President would be consumed by the monster they created.

In a sharp response, the Wike-backed PDP defended the minister, describing him as a political force that could not be discarded. The party’s Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, in an exclusive interview with our correspondent, maintained that despite Wike’s support for Tinubu at the presidential level, the PDP remained committed to fielding candidates and contesting the 2027 elections.

Wike, who has been at odds with some APC governors, alleged during a recent media chat that Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Governor Uzodimma were behind his political troubles in Rivers State and some other parts of the country.

According to him, the disagreement stems from the expanding influence of the Rainbow Coalition, which he said was a platform for PDP members and other politicians seeking to challenge APC candidates for governorship and senatorial seats in the 2027 elections, a development he said was at odds with the interests of the governors.

Uzodimma, at the end of the governors’ meeting in Abuja late Monday night, stressed that they had not entered into any formal agreement with any individual or opposition party ahead of the election.

In what appeared to be an indirect response to Wike’s remarks and his moves to expand his political influence across the states, the APC governors declared that they would not entertain any arrangement that could create confusion, divided loyalty or competing interests within the party.

Uzodimma, who read the communique at the end of the meeting, said the forum’s primary focus was to support official APC candidates at all levels rather than promote external interests.

He said the APC Governors Forum unanimously resolved that its members will not participate in, support or endorse any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining the re-election of  President  Tinubu, weakening the APC or adversely affecting any candidate of the party at all levels.

Wike, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, on Tuesday reaffirmed his unwavering support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, noting that he never pledged to stop the PDP from fielding candidates in governorship, National Assembly and state assembly elections.

He clarified that the Rainbow Coalition was not affiliated to the APC but was a platform for political parties supporting Tinubu’s re-election and his administration’s achievements.

The minister noted that politics is local and those having problems in their states should resolve them instead of using the reelection of the President to whip up sentiments.

Wike said he never held discussions with the APC before he and other G-5 members backed President Tinubu in 2023, stressing that his support in 2027 is solely for the President.

He added that politics is no longer about finishing fourth and becoming governor, but about genuinely mobilising voters and winning elections from the polling units.

The minister urged all stakeholders to put the presidential election first, saying; “after the President must have been reelected, we can all go and face elections in our states.

Also,  Wike, in an interview, dismissed the governors’ concerns, arguing that his support for Tinubu did not mean he had abandoned the PDP.

He said the disagreements surrounding his political activities were not new, recalling that he had faced opposition from political actors while serving both as Rivers governor and FCT minister.

Wike also suggested that some of his critics lacked access to the information available to him on the political situation, saying they would have a different understanding of his activities if they knew what he knew.

He also cited the political activities of Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo; Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke; and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, to argue that support for a presidential candidate did not prevent political parties from fielding candidates for other elective positions.

However, credible APC leaders, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment on the matter, said the power struggle involving Wike, Uzodimma and others was largely driven by ambitions for the 2031 presidency, political dominance and control of the 11th National Assembly.

The sources warned that unless the growing infighting among the President’s allies was addressed, it could become a major threat to President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

One of the sources disclosed that Wike and Uzodimma were both working to expand their political influence and strengthen their positions ahead of the 2031 presidential race, particularly the vice-presidential contest.

He said the rivalry was largely driven by political ambitions for 2031 and control of the next National Assembly, as the actors seek to expand their influence beyond their respective states and geopolitical zones.

Another APC source said the ongoing infighting was largely driven by political interests, with some governors unhappy that Wike, despite being a PDP member and serving in APC led federal cabinet, was using his influence and resources to mobilise politicians against them in various states, adding that the struggle was also part of efforts to position key actors ahead of the 2027 and 2031 elections.

Reacting, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, said Wike’s support for President Bola Tinubu should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the APC, stressing that the minister’s backing was for Tinubu as President.

Mohammed stated, “I think the issue, or rather the position of the minister to support Tinubu, has been mistaken to mean absolute support for the APC. The minister never said he was going to support the APC. Rather, he said his support is for Tinubu as his President and the person who appointed him to the present position he occupies. So, the feeling that the minister’s gesture of support will be extended to all of them across their states was where they got it wrong. It is important for the APC governors to know that Wike is a force to reckon with, not a force to be rejected.

PDP National Publicity Secretary said the APC governors were jittery because the PDP had fielded credible candidates capable of defeating them in 2027.

He urged the governors to focus on good governance rather than attacking Wike, noting that INEC’s publication of PDP candidates had proved the party would contest the elections.

Mohammed added that it is time for elections, they are afraid. The PDP has fielded credible and popular candidates with the capacity and credibility to defeat these APC governors. That is why they are crying wolf where there is none. That is why they are jittery.

On his part, the National Publicity Secretary of the Turaki Interim National Working Committee, Ini Ememobong, said the APC governors and the President created a monster that eventually turned against them by allowing Wike to work for an APC-led government while remaining a PDP member and allegedly acting against the interests of the PDP.