Wike Challenges Governor Uzodimma to Explain Why APC Perform Poorly in Imo in 2023 Presidential Poll

According to report by Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that the Rainbow Coalition is a political structure capable of weakening President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

Wike, in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, challenged Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Hope Uzodimma, to explain why the All Progressives Congress (APC) performed poorly in the state during the 2023 presidential election.

Uzodimma had warned against the emergence of parallel political structures that could undermine the President’s campaign.

He made the remarks on Monday night after a meeting with APC governors at the Imo State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.

Reacting, Wike said the Rainbow Coalition was not an APC structure but a platform comprising politicians from different parties who support Tinubu’s re-election.

The minister recalled that he and members of the G5 governors backed Tinubu in 2023 without first seeking approval from the APC.

He stressed that his current political focus was to mobilise support for Tinubu rather than interfere in governorship or other state-level contests.

Wike questioned the voting pattern recorded in the South-East in 2023, particularly in Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi.

He noted that while Tinubu received less than 15 per cent of the presidential votes in Imo, APC candidates won two senatorial seats in the state.

He similarly pointed to APC’s victories in National Assembly elections across other South-East states despite Tinubu recording less than 10 per cent of the presidential vote in some of them.

According to Wike, the results demonstrated that voters could support APC candidates in legislative elections while choosing another presidential candidate.

He urged political stakeholders to concentrate first on securing Tinubu’s re-election before turning their attention to state contests.

Wike also clarified that his support for Tinubu did not mean the PDP would refrain from fielding candidates for governorship, National Assembly or state assembly elections.

He maintained that the Rainbow Coalition was simply an avenue for mobilising support for Tinubu across political parties.