The All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership in the South-East has expressed support for the Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Hope Uzodimma, and other APC governors, rejecting recent criticisms of the governors by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The position was contained in a joint statement signed by the APC National Vice Chairman, South-East, Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu, and the party chairmen in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states. The statement was made available to journalists in Abuja on Thursday.
The South-East APC leaders described Wike’s remarks about members of the PGF as “most unfortunate, reprehensible and completely unacceptable.”
They argued that the governors were elected leaders whose performance and electoral records should be respected, while accusing the FCT minister of seeking to influence their political fortunes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to the party leaders, the governors criticised by Wike had implemented significant development projects in their respective states and secured more than 25 per cent of the presidential vote in their states during the 2023 election.
“Progressive Governors are not abstract politicians; they are performing leaders whose records speak for themselves,” the statement said.
The APC leaders further stressed that the governors were independently elected officials and should therefore be accorded due respect.
They also accused Wike of attempting to interfere in the political fortunes of serving APC governors ahead of the 2027 elections, arguing that his position as a minister did not confer authority over elected state 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.
The South-East APC leadership urged Wike to withdraw what it described as attacks on the governors and called on him to embrace “party discipline, mutual respect and collective responsibility.”
The party leaders also rejected what they referred to as the “rainbow (chameleon) coalition” in the South-East, warning that the APC would oppose any move aimed at weakening its structures in the region.
“We in the South East stand solidly with all Progressive Governors and candidates of our party at all levels in the forthcoming 2027 elections,” they said.
The leaders maintained that the APC was “bigger than any individual” and called on party members to support its candidates, from President Bola Tinubu to candidates contesting State House of Assembly seats, in the 2027 elections.
The latest disagreement between APC governors and Wike centres largely on political alliances and the support of candidates across different levels of the 2027 elections.
Uzodimma, who chairs the Progressive Governors’ Forum, has maintained that APC governors would not support arrangements that undermine the party’s candidates or weaken its structures.
Wike, however, has defended his Rainbow Coalition, arguing that it can support President Tinubu at the presidential level while backing candidates from other parties in legislative and other contests.
The FCT minister has maintained that supporting the President does not necessarily require members of his coalition to support APC candidates in every election.
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