Former Edo State Governor and Edo North Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, has weighed in on the political disagreement between Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and governors elected under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking during a television interview on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said he was not concerned by the differences between Wike and the APC governors, arguing that both sides had expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s bid for another term in office.
The senator’s comments came amid growing tensions over Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party political platform associated with efforts to mobilise support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
According to Oshiomhole, the disagreement should not automatically be interpreted as opposition to Tinubu’s re-election. He noted that Wike had repeatedly stated that his support was specifically for the President and did not amount to membership or endorsement of the APC.
Oshiomhole maintained that the APC governors and the FCT minister shared a common position regarding Tinubu, despite their different approaches to the wider political contest.
He said he had not heard either Wike or the APC governors reject the President’s return bid, adding that Wike had openly acknowledged that he was not an APC member while maintaining his support for Tinubu.
Wike has consistently defended this position, saying the Rainbow Coalition is not an APC arrangement but a broader political platform involving individuals from different parties who support Tinubu’s presidential campaign. He has also maintained that political parties should remain free to contest governorship and legislative positions separately.
The position has, however, generated resistance among sections of the APC. The party’s governors have maintained that their political structure will support Tinubu alongside APC candidates contesting other positions in the 2027 elections.
The disagreement centres largely on whether politicians can support Tinubu for president while simultaneously backing candidates from other parties in governorship and legislative contests.
Wike has argued that such political arrangements are possible, while some APC leaders have expressed concerns that the strategy could weaken the party’s candidates.
The issue has also reached state-level APC structures, with the Ondo State chapter publicly distancing itself from Wike’s Rainbow Coalition.
The state APC secretary, Alex Kalejaye, said the party would mobilise support for Tinubu as well as its candidates for the Senate, House of Representatives and Ondo State House of Assembly.
He stated that the party intended to mobilise votes for three senatorial candidates, nine House of Representatives candidates and 26 state assembly candidates. The chapter also set a target of one million votes in the state.
Kalejaye further warned that members involved in activities considered contrary to the party’s interests could face disciplinary measures.
He argued that an arrangement in which Tinubu receives support at the presidential level while candidates from other parties receive backing in legislative contests could create uncertainty among voters and complications during the election.
The differing positions have added another layer to the political realignments emerging ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Wike maintaining his support for Tinubu while some APC structures insist on coordinated support for all party candidates.
