ABUJA — Some governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have reportedly raised concerns with President Bola Tinubu over the activities of the National Rainbow Coalition associated with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the governors are worried that the coalition’s political strategy could weaken the APC’s chances in National Assembly elections, despite its reported support for President Tinubu’s bid for re-election.

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The sources told Vanguard that the coalition is promoting a political arrangement under which voters would support Tinubu for President while backing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates for National Assembly positions. With the presidential and National Assembly elections expected to be held on the same day, some APC governors reportedly fear the arrangement could confuse voters and lead to a split in the ruling party’s votes.

One source familiar with the discussions alleged that some politicians within the coalition could privately encourage their supporters to vote for PDP candidates while publicly declaring support for Tinubu.

“This will hurt Tinubu badly if he does not get maximum votes from North-Central and South-East,” the source reportedly said.

The governors are said to have argued that the strategy could ultimately reduce the number of votes available to both Tinubu and APC candidates contesting parliamentary seats. They reportedly rejected any political arrangement capable of undermining the ruling party’s National Assembly candidates.

Those opposed to the coalition’s strategy were also said to have cited voting patterns from the 2023 general elections as a warning. In Oyo State, for instance, then-Governor Seyi Makinde, a PDP member and one of the five G-5 governors, declined to support the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. Tinubu subsequently won the presidential election in the state while the APC also recorded significant gains in National Assembly contests.

The APC governors reportedly fear that a similar pattern of cross-party voting could emerge in other states if political leaders encourage their supporters to back Tinubu at the presidential level while voting for opposition candidates in parliamentary elections.

Sources further claimed that information about the concerns raised by the APC governors eventually reached Wike. They alleged that the development contributed to the FCT minister’s recent criticism of some APC governors, particularly Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma.

However, the claims about the coalition’s alleged strategy, the governors’ discussions with Tinubu and the connection between those concerns and Wike’s recent political attacks have not been independently confirmed.

The development underscores the growing political manoeuvring among Nigeria’s major political blocs as parties and influential political actors position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.