A fresh disagreement has emerged within Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the political role of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, with a federal lawmaker, Abdulmumin Jibrin, urging party governors to engage him rather than push him away.
Mr Jibrin, who represents Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency of Kano State, said the APC stood to benefit significantly from maintaining its relationship with Mr Wike, despite the minister remaining a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking on Arise News on Monday, Mr Jibrin described Mr Wike as a politically influential figure who, in his view, would remain relevant regardless of whether he holds public office.
“Wike will be in demand all the time,” Mr Jibrin said, adding that the minister possessed qualities similar to those of President Bola Tinubu in terms of maintaining political relevance.
The lawmaker argued that the APC should therefore approach Mr Wike through negotiation, particularly as political groups outside the ruling party could seek his support if relations deteriorated.
His comments come amid growing tensions between Mr Wike and some APC governors over the so-called Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party political movement associated with the FCT minister and his support for President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
The Progressive Governors Forum has opposed political arrangements it believes could weaken the APC or affect its candidates, while Mr Wike has maintained that the coalition is not designed to undermine the ruling party.
Mr Jibrin criticised the decision by some governors to confront Mr Wike publicly, arguing that the political circumstances in individual states were different and should be handled through dialogue.
He also pointed to President Tinubu’s decision to bring Mr Wike into his administration after the 2023 election as an example of political negotiation.
“If the President of the country hadn’t negotiated with Wike and brought Wike on board today, there would have been a Rainbow Coalition in this country against APC,” Mr Jibrin said.
The dispute comes as political parties and groups begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the relationship between Mr Wike, the APC governors and President Tinubu increasingly becoming a subject of national political debate.
