No Room for Divided Loyalty, APC Governors Declare Support for Tinubu

The governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have firmly ruled out any political alliance, coalition or arrangement that could weaken President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s chances of securing a second term in office in 2027, declaring that their loyalty remains solely with the ruling party and its candidates across the country.

The position was adopted at a closed-door meeting of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) held at the Imo State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, where the governors unanimously resolved to resist any political move capable of creating divisions within the APC or undermining the party’s electoral prospects ahead of the next general election.

The meeting came at a time of growing political tension within the ruling party, particularly following public disagreements involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and some APC governors, including Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

Speaking after the meeting, Uzodimma, who chairs the governors’ forum, said the APC governors had reached a clear and unanimous decision that their political energy, campaign machinery and resources would be devoted exclusively to candidates officially nominated by the party.

According to him, the forum has no interest in backing politicians contesting under any other platform, regardless of personal relationships or political calculations.

He stressed that the governors would not participate in, endorse or support any alliance capable of weakening the APC, affecting its candidates or creating competing interests against President Tinubu’s re-election project.

The declaration is widely seen as a response to recent political developments involving Wike, whose growing influence and political engagements across party lines have generated debate within both the APC and the opposition.

Earlier this month, the FCT minister openly acknowledged his disagreements with some APC governors, particularly AbdulRazaq and Uzodimma.

Speaking in Port Harcourt, Wike accused the Kwara governor of leading campaigns against him and claimed he had confronted him over the issue. He also alleged that AbdulRazaq had accused him of supporting politicians working against the governor’s preferred candidates in Kwara State.

Wike, however, defended his political activities, arguing that he had provided a platform for aggrieved APC members who left the ruling party rather than allowing them to join broader opposition coalitions seeking to challenge President Tinubu.

The political atmosphere in Kwara has remained tense in recent months as various interests within the APC position themselves for the post-AbdulRazaq era. Several governorship aspirants have expressed concerns about the direction of the party, while influential stakeholders operating under the G15 group have publicly challenged the governor’s control of the party structure.

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The minister also hinted at a strained relationship with Uzodimma, suggesting that despite the support he had extended to the Imo governor in the past, the relationship had not always been reciprocal.

Wike, who remains a prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been linked to support for opposition candidates in several states ahead of the 2027 elections. In Imo State, he is reportedly backing the PDP governorship candidate, while in Kwara he has been associated with the political camp of Senator Saliu Mustapha in the contest for the Kwara Central Senatorial District.

Against this backdrop, the APC governors used their Abuja meeting to send a strong message about party discipline and loyalty.

Reading the communiqué issued after the meeting, Uzodimma stated that the governors’ commitment would remain focused on ensuring victory for all APC candidates, from the presidential election down to other elective positions.

He explained that every level of the party’s campaign structure would be aligned with President Tinubu’s vision and the strategic objectives of the APC, leaving no room for divided loyalties.

The governors also pledged to take frontline roles in the proposed APC Presidential Campaign Council, promising to spearhead mobilisation efforts in their respective states.

According to them, the 2027 campaign strategy will place significant emphasis on grassroots engagement, community outreach and direct interaction with various demographic groups across the country.

Beyond electoral politics, the governors vowed to strengthen unity within the APC and harmonise campaign structures from the national level to the constituencies to ensure a coordinated approach ahead of the polls.

They further reaffirmed their commitment to delivering development projects and implementing programmes in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, insisting that governance and political mobilisation would go hand in hand as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.

With political realignments already shaping the landscape ahead of the next general election, the APC governors’ latest declaration leaves little doubt about where they stand: the party’s governors are closing ranks around President Tinubu and warning that any alliance perceived as a threat to APC interests will find no support within their ranks.