“Rainbow Coalition: Aggrieved governors exploring alliance with Atiku to counter Wike” — Tinubu’s Supporter

Allied Nigerian political leaders are considering reorganizations as aggrieved state governors engage in discussions with opposition entities, our correspondent discovered. Concurrently, a significant number of dissident party officials and former leaders are uniting behind the Rainbow Coalition spearheaded by the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike.

This development, sources say, is intended to counterbalance the mounting sway of the coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections. Sources reveal that certain APC governors are growing uneasy with Wike's actions, fearing that his coalition is encroaching upon their local political landscapes by integrating disgruntled party members who failed to secure primary nominations.

These concerns have been further exacerbated by the election calendar, which sets the governorship polls for February 6, just three weeks after the January 16 presidential election. A source close to one of the governors, speaking anonymously, stated, "The governors are not tolerant of any doubts that President Bola Tinubu will secure a re-election.

Yet, their apprehensions are fueled by Wike's assertions that the President has already allocated nine states to his coalition in the gubernatorial race." The governors cannot afford to disregard these claims, as President Tinubu will not run for another term post-2027 and would gain little from ceding territories, as Wike suggests.

Historical evidence of opposition governors shifting allegiance to the APC after winning Wike’s backing includes instances from Bayelsa, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Taraba, Enugu, Adamawa, Kano, and Rivers states. The primary source of contention for the governors is the Rainbow Coalition's strategy, which advocates for voters to prefer Tinubu in the presidential contest while supporting opposition candidates—primarily from the PDP—in state and legislative elections.

In response, some APC governors argue that if Wike can cultivate opposing structures at the state level while endorsing Tinubu nationally, they too should be able to form alliances with alternative factions like Atiku’s ADC to safeguard their local interests. This realignment has garnered attention from the North-Central, North-West, and North-East regions.

Speculation suggests that Wike may aim to secure a key position for a prominent North-Central PDP figure—a former head of a federal legislative house—by 2031, with Wike as a potential running mate. This has incited unease among northern APC leaders who fear being marginalized in future presidential deliberations. During a live television appearance on Monday, Wike fueled internal party strife by dismissing the senatorial aspirations of Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, claiming that the South-East would not yield the Senate President or Vice President in the upcoming political cycle.

Wike has previously accused both Uzodimma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of working against his coalition's mobilization efforts. Dr. Ayeni Ishola, a political analyst, cautioned that the ruling APC and the Presidency must address the crisis with utmost caution, as Wike's actions could result in the party losing numerous parliamentary seats in the forthcoming polls.

He warned, "You can't rule out anything in politics; the fear of the APC governors is very genuine, and if the situation is not managed properly, the ruling party may face regrettable consequences." An unnamed party official stated that the issue of Wike's Rainbow Coalition will soon be resolved once the party’s chairman returns from vacation.