Orji Uzor Kalu Backs APC Governors Against Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, Urges Both Sides to ‘Pull Back Their Swords’
Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has weighed in on the escalating dispute between the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, backing the governors’ opposition to Wike’s Rainbow Coalition fielding rival candidates in their states while urging both sides to set aside their differences ahead of the 2027 election.
The dispute centres on Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, which has continued to field candidates in several states despite being associated with the ruling APC in some political activities. APC governors have opposed the coalition’s decision to sponsor candidates, arguing that doing so could hurt the party’s flag bearers, including President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. Wike, for his part, has insisted that the coalition remains fully supportive of Tinubu’s re-election, while accusing some of the aggrieved governors of failing to adequately support the president during the 2023 election.
Reacting in a video shared on his official Facebook page on Friday, September 18, Kalu said the governors had a legitimate case in resisting the emergence of rival candidates within their own states, adding that he would take the same position if he were in their shoes. “Some governors have a very good case, I cannot be a governor and you are sponsoring an alternative candidate in my state. I will not allow that to happen,” he said.
Despite siding with the governors on the substance of the dispute, Kalu appealed to both camps to de-escalate the conflict and refocus their energy on campaigning for Tinubu ahead of the January 2027 election, urging that political battles be fought at the grassroots rather than in Abuja. “I appeal to the governors as Minister Nyesom Wike who used to be governor. We should not quarrel at this time of our campaign. Campaign is not done in Abuja so we should go back to the grassroot,” he said, adding, “Both parties should pull their swords back. We need the governors’ forum very well and we also need Minister Wike very well.” He further acknowledged the value both sides bring to the party, saying the governors and Wike each carry their own distinct strengths.
Kalu’s intervention adds a prominent voice to a dispute that has continued to simmer within APC ranks in recent days, with the disagreement reportedly deepening even as the party works to project unity ahead of the 2027 campaign season. As of the time of reporting, neither the APC Governors’ Forum nor Wike had issued a direct response to Kalu’s remarks, with the underlying dispute over the Rainbow Coalition’s role in state-level politics still unresolved.
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