The National Working Committee(NWC) of the All Progressives Congress(APC), has resolved to lead the campaign from the front and all the engagement of the party to ensure total victory for all its candidates in the forthcoming general election.
The APC NWC position came amid the face-off between governors of the party and the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike over his Rainbow Coalition which is supporting President Bola Tinubu and at the same time backing candidates of other political parties.
The APC governors had mid this month rejected any political alliance or arrangement they said could undermine the party or its candidates in the 2027 elections.
Led by PGF chairman and Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, the governors said they would support only candidates officially sponsored by the APC.
Uzodimma said the governors would not participate in, support or endorse any alliance capable of weakening the party or adversely affecting its candidates.
“The APC Governors Forum unanimously resolved that its members will not participate in, support or endorse any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining the re-election of Mr President, weakening the APC or adversely affecting any candidate of the party at all levels.
“In other words, the forum has no intention to support any candidate at any level that is not an APC candidate because our candidates who are contesting the election are being sponsored by our party,” the governors said in a communique read by Uzodimma.
The declaration was widely viewed as a response to Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, which the FCT minister has said is focused on mobilising support for Tinubu’s re-election rather than supporting APC candidates in other elections.
Wike has maintained that his support for Tinubu does not amount to abandoning the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stressing that he remains free to support candidates of his choice in other contests.
He also criticised the APC governors for opposing the coalition, describing them as “politically lazy” and arguing that supporting a presidential candidate should not prevent parties from fielding candidates for governorship and legislative elections.
While the political disagreement lingers on, the NWC of the party officially took a position that aligns with that of the APC governors.
This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the party’s national strategic retreat held in Maiduguri, Borno state, on Saturday where the NWC also held its 195th meeting.
In the communiqué read by the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, the NWC also passed vote of confidence in President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and other candidates of the party for the 2027 general election.
The APC NWC also resolved to reconcile aggrieved leaders and members of the party to ensure unity of purpose as they go into next year’s polls.
