Chief Chuka Offiah-Nwankwo, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Anambra State, has urged APC governors to embrace FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and stop treating him as a threat to President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
Offiah-Nwankwo spoke to journalists in Awka against the backdrop of the growing disagreement between Wike and the APC Governors’ Forum, chaired by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma. The governors have rejected the Wike-backed Rainbow Coalition, insisting that their priority is to strengthen the APC and support its candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
He, however, argued that Wike should be regarded as an ally in the broader effort to secure Tinubu’s re-election, rather than as an adversary.
“Wike has consistently said his coalition is focused on mobilising support for Tinubu and is not a campaign to undermine the APC. He has made his position clear and I think the APC Governors should embrace him on his position and not to misinterpret and misunderstand his genuine intentions” he said.
Offiah-Nwankwo cited Wike’s role in the 2023 presidential election, when Tinubu won Rivers State with 231,591 votes against Peter Obi’s 175,071 and Atiku Abubakar’s 88,468. He said Wike’s decision to support Tinubu despite belonging to the PDP demonstrated his political value to the President’s re-election project.
“Wike is an asset to the APC and to President Tinubu’s re-election plans,” Offiah-Nwankwo said, arguing that the APC governors should stop viewing the former Rivers governor as an enemy when his political influence could be deployed in support of the President.
He said political coalitions and alliances were part of democratic elections worldwide, adding that Tinubu’s re-election should not be treated solely as an APC project. According to him, the ruling party should be willing to work with political groups and individuals prepared to support the President, irrespective of their party affiliations.
Offiah-Nwankwo called on the APC governors to embrace Wike and concentrate on building a broad political coalition around Tinubu’s re-election, rather than fighting those seeking to contribute to the President’s electoral support base.
