APC, Rainbow Coalition Battle Intensifies in Kwara, Ogun, Benue, Kebbi, Others - THISDAYLIVE

The political battle between the governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, over the minister’s sponsorship of the Rainbow Coalition has intensified in Kwara, Ogun, Benue, Kebbi, Ebonyi and other states, as the minister’s loyalists deepened their plots to frustrate the re-election bids of some of the governors and the efforts of others to install successors, THISDAY has learnt.

This is just as the Minister of Works, Mr. Dave Umahi has declared that there is no Rainbow Coalition in Ebonyi State.

The Rainbow Coalition is a multi-political party platform promoted by Wike to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, while backing non-APC candidates for governorship, National Assembly and States House of Assembly elections.

Meanwhile, rising from a three-day retreat in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, the leaders of the APC yesterday dismissed the threat posed by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2027 general election, saying the main opposition parties would merely be participating in the polls rather than mounting a serious contest against the ruling party.

Wike’s decision to use the coalition to field Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates for governorship and other elective positions did not go down well with the APC governors, who are battle-ready to fight the minister’s loyalists for political supremacy in their states.

THISDAY gathered that in Ogun State, the Rainbow Coalition-backed governorship candidate of the PDP, Mr. Ladi Adebutu is getting stronger with huge financial resources at his disposal to battle the governorship candidate of the APC, Senator Solomon Adeola.

Adeola, who is equally wealthy, is backed by Governor Dapo Abiodun.

However, the dispute over Adeola’s state of origin seems to be posing a threat to his chances.  

In Kebbi State, a former governor of the state and senator representing Kebbi Central, Adamu Aliero, is working with Rainbow Coalition to unseat Governor Nasir Idris, who is seeking a second term.

Governor Idris is a protégé of the immediate past governor of the state and Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.

In Imo State, it is a tripartite battle between Governor Hope Uzodimma, former Governor Rochas Okorocha, and the governorship candidate of the PDP, Senator Sam Anyanwu, who is a member of Wike’s Rainbow Coalition.

Uzodimma, who is seeking to install a successor on the platform of the APC, is the party’s senatorial candidate for the 2027 elections.

Senator Okorocha, who is also of the APC, had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the publication of Governor Uzodimma’s name as the candidate of the APC for the Imo West Senatorial District election scheduled for 2027.

In Kwara State, the PDP governorship candidate, Bolakale Kawu, is challenging Governor AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman’s anointed candidate in APC, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu. 

The senator representing Kwara Central on the platform of the APC, Saliu Mustapha, also emerged as the PDP candidate after Governor AbdulRazaq upstaged him and emerged as the APC senatorial candidate for the zone.

Mustapha is backed by a former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

Rainbow Coalition is also believed to be backing non-APC candidates in Enugu, Nasarawa, Gombe and other states.

In Ebonyi State, Wike’s loyalists are also challenging the re-election of Governor Francis Nwifuru, a protégé of former Governor Dave Umahi, who is the Minister of Works.

However, Umahi has declared that there is no Rainbow Coalition in the state.

Umahi, who spoke during an inspection of the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway in Benue State on Friday, insisted that the state remained aligned with the APC and its candidates.

A statement issued yesterday by the Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of Works on Media, Francis Nwaze, said Umahi inspected Section Two of the project at Ado and directed contractors to accelerate construction.

Commenting on his relationship with Wike and reports that he was forming a similar political arrangement in Ebonyi State, Umahi said, “If Wike has candidates here, he has not told me. And his candidate cannot break our relationship, but his candidate is not part of our relationship. There is no rainbow coalition in Ebonyi State.”

The former Ebonyi State governor added that those wishing to campaign in Ebonyi State were free to do so but warned political actors against hate speech and attempts to cause disorder.

 “Anybody that wants to campaign – come and campaign. But don’t dish out hate speech, and you want to take those speeches, and you want that we should lay a red carpet for you. We will not do that,” he said.

“Nobody can foment crisis in Ebonyi State,” the minister added.

Meanwhile, the APC yesterday dismissed the threat posed by the ADC and the NDC in the 2027 general election, saying the main opposition parties would merely be participating in the polls rather than mounting a serious contest against the ruling party.

The ruling party leaders also passed a vote of confidence in President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and all APC candidates who emerged from the party’s primary elections.

The National Chairman of the APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, made the ruling party’s position known while briefing journalists at the conclusion of the retreat.

The event brought together members of the National Working Committee (NWC), members of the National Executive Committee (NEC), and state chairmen of the ruling party.

Citing the recent results of the five by-elections held across the country, Yilwatda said the APC’s electoral prospects remained formidable.

He said the ruling party reviewed its structures nationwide and declared itself ready for the 2027 elections.

According to him, the review covered the party’s structures from the national, state, local government and ward levels to polling units.

Yilwatda added that the assessment gave the party what he described as a “clean bill of health”, noting that the NWC considered the APC strong and prepared for the 2027 elections.

Commenting on the recent elections, he said the committee reviewed the outcomes of off-cycle and by-elections and was satisfied with APC’s performance.

He cited Ogun and Delta as states where the party had previously not won elections but recorded victories in recent contests.

The chairman said the APC won four of five elections held the previous week, losing one, and described its performance in the lost election as strong.

He said the ruling party secured victory in four of the contests, losing only one to the APM—not to the major opposition parties “often touted” in the media.

“We went to Ekiti and came first; the party that came second was the PDP, not the so-called opposition – ADC and NDC. We went to Osun, and we became second; none of those political parties you claimed won even a councillorship.

“So, if they can’t even win a councillorship, are we contesting against them? They are participants in this election, not contesting with us. We are very confident that our party can win this election; we are prepared to win the 2027 election,” he explained.

Highlighting further electoral data, Yilwatda also cited the off-cycle polls in Osun State and legislative contests in the North, including Kano, Bauchi, and Gombe, where the APC recorded strong performance.

He argued that media narratives regarding opposition momentum did not align with realities on the ground.

“Even last week, we had a by-election in Adamawa State, in Ganye local government, where Atiku comes from, and we won the election. We are very grounded, and I doubt if any party can challenge us,” he said.

Detailing the resolutions reached during the three-day retreat, Yilwatda announced that the party leadership observed a moment of mourning, extending condolences to the government and people of Niger State over the tragic loss of 37 miners.

The ruling party’s leaders passed a vote of confidence in President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and all APC candidates emerging from primary elections.

“We strongly believe that we produce some of the most credible candidates, most acceptable, and most prepared to serve the people of Nigeria,” Yilwatda added.

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