Clarify Wike’s Political Status – Onoh Asks APC

Former South-East campaign spokesman for President Bola Tinubu, Denge Josef Onoh, has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership to clarify the political status and activities of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Naija News reports that Onoh, in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, said the emergence of the “Rainbow Coalition” and its reported political activities had created the need for the President and APC leadership to provide clear direction.

According to Onoh, the coalition should clearly state its relationship with the ruling party, particularly as preparations for the 2027 elections intensify.

He said reports that the group could support candidates for governorship, Senate and House of Representatives elections had implications for the APC’s political structure as well as the wider opposition.

Onoh noted that the development was significant because of Wike’s political experience and his current position as a member of the Federal Executive Council.

He urged the APC leadership to engage the minister and determine whether his political activities aligned with the party’s objectives or were being pursued independently.

The former campaign spokesman also compared Wike’s current political activities to the political realignments that preceded the formation of the APC.

He recalled that between 2010 and 2015, political structures outside the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party contributed to a realignment that eventually produced the APC.

Onoh argued that Nigerian politics was largely driven by interests and long-term calculations, adding that the alliances taking shape ahead of 2027 could have implications beyond the next general election.

He said the possibility of further political realignments ahead of 2031 made it important for the APC to define the roles of political groups and individuals associated with the party and the Federal Government.

Onoh also backed the Progressive Governors Forum, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, over its position on preserving the unity of the APC and its structures.

He maintained that the ruling party had sufficient structures and grassroots machinery to pursue its electoral objectives without relying on parallel political arrangements.

The former South-East spokesman therefore urged Tinubu and the APC National Working Committee to hold discussions with Wike and clarify the relationship between his political structures and the ruling party.

He said such engagement would help reduce uncertainty, strengthen party cohesion and provide clearer direction as political activities ahead of the 2027 elections gather momentum.