Lawal Says Wike Must Choose APC or Leave Coalition

Zamfara Gov. Dauda Lawal said the position of All Progressives Congress governors is that Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike should support the party or leave the Rainbow Coalition, sharpening a disagreement over how politicians can back President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid while supporting other parties in state and legislative races. Lawal said he planned to raise the issue with Tinubu when the president returns from a working leave. Lawal made the remarks in an interview in New York on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. He said he was part of the APC governors’ position and argued that political actors should be aligned with one side. Asked whether the governors were effectively asking Wike to join the APC, Lawal said yes, adding that the party’s position had not changed. Wike, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, has described the Rainbow Coalition as a cross-party platform to mobilize support for Tinubu’s presidential bid.