The spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Ima Niboro, has urged FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and APC governors to end their public dispute and shift focus to voter mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Niboro Calls for End to Public Quarrel
Speaking on Arise Television's The Morning Show, Niboro said the ongoing exchanges between Wike and the governors were counterproductive. "When I said tone down the rhetoric, I do not mean stop working. Stop talking, go and work," he stated.
The dispute began when Wike proposed a Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party arrangement aimed at pooling politicians from various parties behind President Bola Tinubu's re-election bid. Wike argued the coalition would not dissolve existing party structures or interfere in governorship and legislative contests.
Root of the Disagreement
APC governors rejected the proposal, insisting their political operations would remain focused on the party and its candidates at all levels. The tension escalated when Wike labelled the governors "politically lazy" for their stance. Progressive Governors' Forum Chairman Senator Hope Uzodimma defended the governors, prompting Wike to question Uzodimma's support for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.
The friction traces back to 2023, when Wike and four other PDP governors — Seyi Makinde, Samuel Ortom, Okezie Ikpeazu, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi — broke with their party's candidate Atiku Abubakar, forming the G5 group. Wike later joined Tinubu's administration as a minister while retaining PDP membership, creating an unusual political arrangement that persists into 2027 preparations.
Call for Grassroots Action
Niboro clarified he was not asking either side to stop campaigning but to redirect energy from media appearances to voters. "All this shouting is not taking anybody anywhere. Go and work. Go and establish your authority on your political base," he said.
He urged leaders to engage voters directly in communities and markets. "Get on the TV cameras. Go to the people. Go to the streets. Go to the marketplaces. Go and win the people," he added. "Stop all this high-sounding grammar that they are blowin everywhere is not leading anybody anywhere. Go and work."
Niboro stressed that any leader claiming influence should prove it through actual grassroots mobilisation. "If you're a political leader, stop talking. Go and work. That is my point," he concluded.
Legit.ng earlier reported that Wike accused APC governors of orchestrating moves against him and undermining Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, tracing the conflict to his ministerial appointment.
