2027: APC GOVERNORS SEEKING EASY PATH TO VICTORY THROUGH WIKE’S LOYALISTS, SAYS SAN ADEBAYO

By NaijaParrot October 16, 2026 

 ABUJA, NIGERIA — Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mutalubi Ojo Adebayo, has criticised some governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing them of seeking an easy route to electoral victory by relying on the political supporters and loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Adebayo made the remarks during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Friday, October 16, while discussing the political relationship between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Wike and APC governors ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to Adebayo, some APC governors appear to expect Wike to mobilise his supporters and loyalists to back the party’s candidates in their respective states while he supports Tinubu’s re-election bid. He questioned the expectation that Wike should automatically transfer his political support base to APC candidates, arguing that the minister has his own political interests and relationships to protect. Adebayo said the governors should not assume that Wike’s support for Tinubu necessarily means he will direct all his followers to support APC candidates in governorship, legislative and other elections. His comments come amid disagreements over Wike’s proposed cross-party political arrangement, popularly known as the Rainbow Coalition. 

 Adebayo described Tinubu and Wike as experienced politicians who understand the complexities of Nigeria’s political system. He argued that political alliances across party lines are not new in the country, pointing to examples from the First and Second Republics and the period following the return to civilian rule in 1999. According to him, politicians have historically formed alliances, negotiated appointments and made electoral concessions to advance their interests. He therefore maintained that the current political collaboration involving Tinubu and Wike should be understood within the wider history of political bargaining in Nigeria. 

 The disagreement has intensified following the position taken by the APC Governors Forum, which said its members would not support political arrangements capable of weakening the party or undermining its candidates in the 2027 elections. The forum’s chairman, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, said the governors remained committed to supporting APC candidates at all levels. The position reflects concerns within the party that a political arrangement supporting Tinubu for president could simultaneously benefit candidates contesting against APC candidates in state and legislative elections. Wike, who remains associated with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while serving in Tinubu’s administration, has defended his political activities and maintained that support for the President does not require him to abandon his other political interests. 

 During the interview, Adebayo cited the 2023 elections to argue that presidential support does not automatically translate into votes for candidates of the same party in every contest. He pointed to the South-East, where APC candidates won legislative seats even though Tinubu received less than five per cent of the presidential votes in each of the region’s states, according to his account. He also referenced political developments in Oyo State during the same election cycle to illustrate how parties and politicians sometimes make strategic concessions to secure electoral advantages. His argument was that APC governors should recognise the distinction between mobilising support for a presidential candidate and securing victories for candidates seeking state or legislative offices. 

 The disagreement highlights a broader challenge for the APC as political actors position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections. While Tinubu’s supporters are seeking to build a broad coalition around his re-election bid, APC governors are insisting that the party’s candidates at all levels must receive support. The central issue remains whether the different political interests can be reconciled without undermining the electoral ambitions of the party or the individual politicians involved. Adebayo’s comments represent his assessment of the dispute. Whether Wike’s political network will support APC candidates beyond the presidential contest remains a matter of political negotiation. 

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