The disagreement between Nyesom Wike and APC governors over political mobilisation for President Bola Tinubu has drawn a call for both sides to end their public exchanges and focus on grassroots political activity.

The appeal came from Ima Niboro, spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, who urged the political actors to demonstrate their influence by engaging voters rather than continuing their public arguments.

Quick Takeaways

• Ima Niboro asked Nyesom Wike and APC governors to reduce their public rhetoric and concentrate on political mobilisation.
• The disagreement followed Wike’s proposal for a cross-party arrangement to support Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
• Hope Uzodimma, Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, said APC governors would not support an arrangement that could weaken the party.
• Wike subsequently questioned the electoral records of some governors while stressing his focus on mobilising support for Tinubu.
• Niboro said political leaders should establish their influence by going to their political bases, communities, marketplaces and other grassroots areas.

The Key Players

Nyesom Wike is the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and one of the central figures in the disagreement.

Hope Uzodimma, the Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, represents the position expressed by APC governors in the dispute.

Ima Niboro, spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, intervened after the exchange, urging both sides to put less emphasis on public arguments and more on political mobilisation.

At the centre of the discussion is President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, which Wike and the APC governors have referenced from different political positions.

Different Positions Emerge Over Political Mobilisation

The disagreement developed after Wike proposed a cross-party arrangement aimed at mobilising support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.

The proposal was rejected by APC governors. Uzodimma said the governors would not participate in any political arrangement that could weaken the APC or affect Tinubu’s re-election effort.

According to the position attributed to Uzodimma, the governors’ political machinery would instead remain focused on candidates contesting elections under the APC platform at different levels.

Wike subsequently questioned the electoral records of some governors, particularly Uzodimma. He also maintained that his priority was to mobilise support for Tinubu rather than become involved in the governors’ contests at the state level.

The exchange subsequently became a public political disagreement involving questions about party structures, political influence and the preferred approach to mobilisation.

What Niboro Said

Reacting to the disagreement, Niboro called on Wike and the governors to reduce their public rhetoric and concentrate on building support at the grassroots.

Speaking during an appearance on Arise Television’s The Morning Show, Niboro described the disagreement between Wike and the governors as a quarrel among siblings.

He said:

“When I said tone down the rhetoric, I do not mean stop working. Stop talking, go and work.”

Niboro further urged political leaders to establish their authority within their respective political bases rather than rely on public exchanges.

He said they should engage directly with voters by visiting communities, streets, marketplaces and other grassroots locations.

“Go and win the people,” he added.

Niboro also criticised what he described as the use of “high-sounding grammar” in the ongoing exchanges, arguing that public arguments would not advance the political objective.

Background to the Disagreement

The immediate disagreement centres on how political support for Tinubu should be mobilised ahead of the 2027 election.

Wike’s position, as presented in the article, is that his priority is to mobilise support for Tinubu while remaining separate from the state-level electoral contests involving the APC governors.

The governors, through Uzodimma, have maintained that their political machinery should remain aligned with the APC platform and its candidates.

That difference has created the setting for the public exchange that prompted Niboro’s intervention.

His message was not that Wike or the governors should abandon their respective political interests. Instead, he argued that political leaders should demonstrate their influence through actual grassroots mobilisation.

What the Dispute Means Politically

The disagreement illustrates different approaches to organising political support ahead of the 2027 election.

One issue is the relationship between cross-party mobilisation and the established structures of the APC. Wike’s position, according to the supplied report, places emphasis on mobilising support for Tinubu across political lines, while the APC governors’ position emphasises the party’s own political machinery and candidates.

Another issue is the question of political influence at the grassroots.

Niboro’s intervention shifts attention away from the public exchange and towards measurable political activity. His argument is that leaders should demonstrate their influence by engaging voters and strengthening their respective political bases.

The disagreement therefore involves more than the words exchanged publicly. It also reflects differing positions on how political actors should organise support for the 2027 contest.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the disagreement between Wike and the APC governors about?

The disagreement concerns how political support for President Bola Tinubu should be mobilised ahead of the 2027 election. Wike proposed a cross-party arrangement, while APC governors rejected participation in an arrangement they said could weaken the party.

What did Hope Uzodimma say?

Uzodimma, Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, said APC governors would not participate in any political arrangement that could weaken the party or affect Tinubu’s re-election bid.

What did Wike say?

Wike questioned the electoral records of some governors, particularly Uzodimma, while maintaining that his priority was to mobilise support for Tinubu rather than participate in the governors’ state-level contests.

What did Ima Niboro ask the politicians to do?

Niboro urged Wike and the APC governors to reduce their public rhetoric and focus on grassroots political mobilisation.

What did Niboro mean by “go and work”?

His comments referred to political leaders moving beyond public arguments and demonstrating their influence through engagement with voters and their political bases.

The Bottom Line

The disagreement between Wike and APC governors has brought competing approaches to political mobilisation into public view ahead of the 2027 election. While the positions presented in the dispute differ, Ima Niboro’s intervention was focused on moving attention away from the public exchange and towards grassroots political activity.

For now, the central issue remains how the different political actors involved will balance their individual interests, party structures and efforts to mobilise support for Tinubu.