Fresh divisions have emerged within the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections, following the rejection by the party’s South-East leadership of the proposed Rainbow Coalition, insisting that support for President Bola Tinubu must extend to all APC candidates.
The South-East APC said it would adopt an “APC Top to Bottom” strategy in the 2027 elections, declaring that the party would mobilise support for its candidates at every level rather than focus exclusively on the presidential contest.
The position, announced in a statement by the party’s National Vice Chairman and Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) Zonal Coordinator, Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu, puts the zone at odds with the coalition approach championed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
It also highlights the growing differences between Wike’s cross-party mobilisation strategy and efforts by the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, to consolidate the APC’s electoral structures.
The Rainbow Coalition proposition seeks to rally politicians and supporters from different parties behind Tinubu’s re-election without requiring them to support APC candidates in other contests.
The arrangement allows politicians to retain their party affiliations while backing the President in the 2027 presidential election.
However, the South-East APC leadership said it would not support an arrangement in which individuals or groups voted for Tinubu but backed opposition candidates in senatorial, House of Representatives, governorship, state assembly and local government elections.
“We make it categorically clear that the South-East APC shall vote APC from Top to Bottom. We shall not stop at the presidency. We shall support, campaign for, and deliver every APC candidate at every level of the ballot,” Arodiogbu said.
The party welcomed reports that political leaders and governors associated with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Accord Party had endorsed Tinubu’s re-election bid.
It, however, maintained that such endorsements would not alter the South-East APC’s commitment to securing electoral victories for the party across the region.
Although Arodiogbu did not mention Wike by name, the statement’s rejection of selective support underscored the disagreement over whether Tinubu’s re-election should be pursued through a broad-based coalition or a strategy that also strengthens the APC at other electoral levels.
Wike, a former Rivers State governor who remains a PDP member while serving in Tinubu’s administration, has advocated cooperation among the President’s supporters across party lines.
The approach provides an avenue for politicians to support Tinubu without necessarily joining the APC or backing its candidates in other elections.
Uzodimma, meanwhile, has been associated with efforts to consolidate the ruling party’s structures and improve its electoral fortunes. As chairman of the PGF, he occupies a strategic position in coordinating the interests of APC governors.
The South-East APC expressed support for Uzodimma, describing his position on the 2027 voting pattern as consistent with the collective commitment of APC governors.
It also defended the Imo governor against his critics, arguing that his position prioritised the long-term interests of the party and the South-East.
Arodiogbu said the zone had resolved that Tinubu’s presidential ticket must be accompanied by support for APC candidates across the five South-East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.
He listed the re-election of Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, alongside victories for APC candidates in the National Assembly, governorship, state assembly and local government elections, as central to the strategy.
The party also urged members and stakeholders across the five states to mobilise behind the decision.
It commended APC governors Hope Uzodimma of Imo, Peter Mbah of Enugu and Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi, as well as members of the National Assembly, state legislators and party executives, for their commitment to the party.
The statement further praised members of the APC National Working Committee from the South-East and the zonal executive for supporting the party’s direction.
With the APC seeking to expand its electoral presence in the South-East, the disagreement highlights the challenges of balancing cross-party support for Tinubu with the ruling party’s ambition to secure victories in other contests.
For the South-East APC leadership, however, the position remains firm: support for the President must go hand in hand with support for the party’s candidates.
“APC Top to Bottom is not a slogan. It is our doctrine. It is our strategy. It is our non-negotiable position,” Arodiogbu declared.
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