The All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership in the five states of the South-East has thrown its weight behind the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), endorsing its position that all APC candidates should receive the party’s support in the 2027 general elections.
The party leaders, in a joint statement signed by APC National Vice Chairman, South-East, Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu, and the party chairmen in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states, rejected the ‘Rainbow Coalition’ led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Describing the Wike group as ‘Chameleon Coalition’ the leaders said the PGF’s call for support for APC candidates from the Presidency to the state Houses of Assembly was aimed at securing a comprehensive victory for the party in 2027.
They also condemned recent remarks by Ministe Wike, against members of the PGF, describing the comments as “most unfortunate, reprehensible and completely unacceptable.”
According to the South-East APC leaders, Wike’s criticisms were directed at governors they described as having delivered significant development in their states and secured more than 25 per cent of the presidential vote in their respective states in the 2023 election.
“Progressive Governors are not abstract politicians; they are performing leaders whose records speak for themselves,” the statement said, stressing that the governors were independently elected leaders who deserved respect.
The leaders further accused Wike of attempting to influence the political fortunes of sitting APC governors ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that no minister should assume authority over elected governors.
“It is more troubling that Wike’s growing tendency to insult, diminish and plot to remove sitting Progressive Governors in 2027 is increasing each day,” the statement said.
They urged the FCT minister to withdraw his attacks on the governors and return to “party discipline, mutual respect and collective responsibility.”
The APC South-East leadership also rejected what it described as the “rainbow (chameleon) coalition” in the region, warning that the party would resist attempts to undermine its structures.
“We in the South East stand solidly with all Progressive Governors and candidates of our party at all levels in the forthcoming 2027 elections,” the statement said.
The leaders declared that the APC was “bigger than any individual” and called on members to support the party’s candidates from President Bola Tinubu to the State Houses of Assembly in the 2027 elections.