A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Okoi Obono-Obla, has accused some APC governors who oppose the Rainbow Coalition associated with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of hijacking the ruling party.
Obono-Obla argued that there is nothing unusual about Wike’s proposed cross-party coalition, which is aimed at mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election. He also alleged that some APC governors have marginalised party members and created political structures that exclude those who disagree with them.
The APC chieftain made the comments during an appearance on Arise News, according to a report published on September 29, 2026.
Obono-Obla Defends Wike’s Rainbow Coalition
Obono-Obla, who served as co-secretary of the joint inter-party merger committee that negotiated the formation of the APC in 2013, said political coalitions involving members of different parties were not new.
He cited examples of political alliances in other countries and argued that there was no contradiction in a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporting an APC presidential candidate.
“The coalition Wike is trying to form is not new.”
He maintained that the key objective of the arrangement was to support Tinubu’s presidential bid, rather than necessarily require members of other political parties to defect to the APC.
Wike has similarly described the Rainbow Coalition as a platform designed to mobilise support for Tinubu beyond the formal APC structure. In September, he said the coalition was separate from the APC and that he had never approached the APC Governors’ Forum to establish an alliance.
APC Governors Accused of Marginalising Members
Obono-Obla further alleged that some APC governors had created political cliques around their administrations and marginalised members of the party.
According to him, the treatment of some party members created the circumstances that allowed Wike to attract disaffected politicians into his coalition.
He said:
“The APC governors are responsible for the circumstances under which Minister Wike is trying to draw people into his coalition.”
The APC founding member also claimed that some governors had imposed candidates on party members against their wishes.
He argued that the situation had contributed to opposition to the governors and created an opening for Wike’s political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
Obono-Obla: Supporting Tinubu Does Not Mean Supporting Every APC Candidate
The APC chieftain also rejected concerns that members who support Tinubu at the presidential level must necessarily support APC candidates in other elections.
He argued that voters could support Tinubu for president while choosing candidates from other political parties for governorship, Senate, House of Representatives or state assembly contests.
Wike has made a similar argument, maintaining that his support is specifically for Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid and does not amount to an agreement that other parties should withdraw their candidates from state and legislative elections.
The position has, however, faced opposition from the Progressive Governors Forum, which said APC governors would not participate in or endorse political arrangements that could weaken the party or adversely affect its candidates at any level.
‘I Support Tinubu, But Not Imposed Candidates’
Obono-Obla said he supports President Tinubu but would not automatically support APC candidates whom he believes were imposed on party members through undemocratic processes.
He attributed the disagreement between some APC governors and supporters of Wike’s coalition to what he described as the marginalisation of party members.
The development adds to the growing political debate within the ruling party and among politicians from different parties over how support for Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid should coexist with contests for governorship and legislative seats.
Wike has repeatedly insisted that the Rainbow Coalition is not an APC structure, while APC governors have maintained that their priority is protecting the party and its candidates in the 2027 elections.