Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has challenged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to clarify his political allegiance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Lawal said Wike could not simultaneously support the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other political parties while remaining a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Wike has been associated with the Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party political platform supporting President Bola Tinubu’s bid for re-election in 2027.
However, the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), the umbrella body of APC governors, has rejected the coalition, arguing that such an arrangement could undermine the interests of the ruling party.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Lawal said Wike must decide where his political loyalty lies.
>Our message is very, very clear, be on one side, you can’t be on two sides,Lawal said.
He added that if Wike was supporting the APC, he should openly identify with the party rather than simultaneously supporting other political parties.
Asked whether the APC governors were effectively asking Wike to join the APC, Lawal responded, “Exactly.”
The Zamfara governor said the APC governors would maintain their position despite Wike’s comments, insisting that their focus remained on the ruling party.
Lawal also disclosed that he would discuss Wike’s political position with President Bola Tinubu when the President returns from his working vacation in France.
“It’s either he is in APC or he is out, simple,” he said, adding that he would stand with his fellow APC governors on the matter.
Wike, who remains a PDP member, has repeatedly declared his support for Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid. He has, however, maintained that supporting Tinubu for president does not prevent the PDP from contesting governorship and legislative elections in the states.
The FCT Minister also recently rejected claims that the Rainbow Coalition was created to destabilise existing political parties.
His political activities have nevertheless attracted attention, particularly his reported association with PDP candidates in states such as Imo and Kwara while supporting Tinubu at the presidential level.
The disagreement between Wike and the APC governors comes amid emerging political realignments and coalition-building ahead of the 2027 elections.
