The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has said the party will rely on dialogue, diplomacy and mutual respect to manage the disagreement between Nyesom Wike and some APC governors.

Yilwatda said the APC leadership was focused on maintaining party unity, respecting the political rights of its members and preparing for the 2027 general elections.

Key Facts

• Nentawe Yilwatda said the disagreement should not be allowed to escalate into a crisis within the APC.
• APC governors have said they will support candidates officially sponsored by the party.
• Nyesom Wike, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has maintained that supporting President Bola Tinubu does not mean he has left the PDP.
• Wike has also said his support for Tinubu does not require him to support APC candidates in governorship and legislative elections.
• Yilwatda described the disagreement as a difference in political perspectives that could be managed through dialogue and diplomacy.

Stakeholder Positions

The disagreement centres on different positions regarding political alliances, party membership and support for candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

APC Governors

The Progressive Governors’ Forum, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, has said its members would support candidates officially sponsored by the APC.

In a communique read by Uzodimma, the governors said they would not participate in, support or endorse any political arrangement they believed could undermine President Tinubu’s re-election, weaken the APC or adversely affect the party’s candidates.

The governors also stated that they had no intention of supporting candidates who were not contesting under the APC platform.

Nyesom Wike

Wike has maintained that his support for President Tinubu does not mean he has abandoned the PDP.

The FCT Minister has also rejected claims that the Rainbow Coalition was created to weaken the APC.

According to Wike, the coalition’s primary objective is to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election.

He has further argued that political parties remain free to field their own candidates for governorship and legislative elections while politicians can support Tinubu at the presidential level.

Nentawe Yilwatda

Yilwatda said the APC recognised Wike’s position as well as that of the party’s governors.

He said the priority for the APC was to maintain unity while respecting the democratic rights of political actors.

The APC chairman also said the party’s doors remained open to constructive engagement with stakeholders.

Background To The Disagreement

The disagreement followed the rejection by the Progressive Governors’ Forum of political arrangements that the governors believe could weaken the APC or affect candidates sponsored by the party in the 2027 elections.

The governors have consequently maintained that their support should remain focused on APC candidates.

Wike, however, has continued to distinguish his support for Tinubu at the presidential level from his position on other elections.

This has created a political disagreement over how support for Tinubu should relate to party affiliation and candidate selection in other contests.

Immediate Reactions

Yilwatda said the positions taken by Wike and the APC governors should not be allowed to develop into a wider conflict within the ruling party.

He described the situation as a difference in political perspectives rather than an issue that should be personalised.

The APC chairman said political differences were normal in a democracy and should be handled through dialogue, maturity and respect for the institutions and processes of the various political parties.

Wike, meanwhile, has maintained that there was no occasion when he approached the Progressive Governors’ Forum to align with the APC coalition.

He said his position regarding alliances with political parties had been made clear.

Editorial Analysis

The disagreement brings together two different political considerations: support for President Tinubu and the separate question of which political parties and candidates should receive support in other elections.

For the APC governors, the emphasis is on protecting the party’s candidates and structures ahead of the 2027 elections.

For Wike, his stated position separates his support for Tinubu at the presidential level from the question of whether he should support APC candidates in other elections.

Yilwatda’s response places the APC leadership in a mediating position. Rather than describing the disagreement as an internal crisis, he said it should be managed through dialogue, diplomacy and respect.

The supplied material establishes that this is the approach the APC chairman has proposed. It does not establish that the disagreement has been resolved.

Political Implications

The dispute has implications for how political alliances and party structures interact ahead of the 2027 elections.

The positions of the APC governors indicate an emphasis on maintaining support for candidates officially sponsored by the party, while Wike’s position distinguishes presidential support for Tinubu from support for candidates in other elections.

For the APC leadership, managing these competing positions without allowing them to escalate could become part of the broader effort to preserve party unity.

However, the supplied material does not establish what the eventual political arrangements will be or how the disagreement will affect individual candidates in 2027.

Final Editorial Wrap-Up

Nentawe Yilwatda has said the APC intends to manage the disagreement involving Nyesom Wike and some APC governors through dialogue, diplomacy and mutual respect.

The governors have maintained their support for APC-sponsored candidates, while Wike has continued to argue that his support for President Tinubu does not require him to support APC candidates in other elections.

For now, the APC chairman’s stated position is that the competing political views should be handled through constructive engagement rather than allowed to escalate into a wider party conflict.