Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal tells Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) if he wants to back President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. Lawal makes the remarks in an interview with Channels Television’s Inside Sources while in New York during the UN General Assembly.
Lawal says Wike cannot support Tinubu through APC-linked politics while also backing candidates from other parties. He adds that APC governors would raise the issue with Tinubu and want Wike’s political alignment clearly defined. The dispute centers on Wike’s “Rainbow Coalition,” described as a cross-party platform that aims to mobilize support for Tinubu’s presidential campaign while allowing other parties to contest governorship and legislative seats.
Different outlets frame the disagreement around the same underlying conflict: APC figures argue the coalition could weaken APC candidates in “down-ballot” races, while Wike defends the arrangement as strengthening Tinubu’s chances without undermining multiparty democracy. Lawal also dismisses Wike’s criticism of some APC governors, saying the minister’s comments are not aligned with Zamfara’s governance record.
