A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Aliyu Farouk, has warned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, to desist from making comments capable of overheating the political atmosphere.

Farouk was reacting to Wike’s recent description of some APC governors as “lazy” and “419ners” while speaking on a Television’s program on Thursday.

Wike, who is serving in the APC-led Federal Government, has been promoting a Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

His comments have, however, attracted criticism from members of the ruling party, with Farouk describing the remarks as inappropriate.

“I think the comments of Wike is in bad taste because the language he used to call our governors lazy, that’s really in bad taste. And we all members of APC reject that statement.

“We have a party to run, we have a country to run, and that instead of us, including Wike that tries to help the president, to be humble, to talk to people in a nice way, try to appeal to the sensibilities of Nigerians because there are certain things that as a government people are not happy with us.

“So it is very, very uncalled for someone that is trying to help us now to be insulting members of our party,” he said.

Farouk said Wike could not be compared with the number of governors currently working with the APC-led administration to support Tinubu.

“Wike is one person who is in charge of Rivers, according to him, and also in charge of FCT, the two states, and the other governors are 30 something governors, and other governors like that of Abia, governor of Osun, governor of Anambra, who are willing to come help Mr. President.

“So yes, we’re not happy with his comments, and we hope he will also desist from these kind of comments so that he does not overheat the polity. The polity, I mean, the country, it is not just APC,” Farouk added.

The development followed an earlier warning by the Chairman of the APC’s Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, that the party’s governors would not support any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining Tinubu’s re-election or weakening the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State has named Alhaji Muhammad Sani Abacha, son of Nigeria’s late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, as its governorship candidate for next year’s election.

The party said the decision followed the withdrawal of the earlier nominee, Muhammad Bello Dalha.

At an expanded state executive committee meeting in Kano on Wednesday, the state party Chairman Dr. Bello Gambo Bichi, said an affirmation was conducted in line with the party’s constitution and electoral laws.

He said, “Last time we did a primary election in which Muhammad Bello Dalha was declared winner. But following consultations among stakeholders in Kano and Abuja, the candidate decided to withdraw.

“The law says that as a result of the withdrawal, a replacement primary must be held. That is what brought us here today. We have affirmed Muhammad Sani Abacha as the gubernatorial candidate of our great party in Kano State,” Bichi explained.

The affirmation was followed by a replacement primary election where Abacha was formally declared winner by the panel chairman, Dr. Abba Abdullahi.

Abdullahi confirmed that the exercise was conducted in line with the party’s guidelines and electoral regulations, and that Abacha had satisfied all requirements for nomination.

As part of reconciliation efforts, the party also resolved its internal factional disputes by conceding the deputy governorship slot to the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki group.

As a result, the former factional Chairman of the party and ex‑commissioner for land and agriculture, Alhaji Yusuf Ado Kibiya, was named as the new deputy governorship candidate.

“After wide consultation and reconciliation, we agreed to give the deputy governorship slot to the Turaki faction here in Kano. With this, there is no more faction in Kano PDP. We have reconciled,” Bichi said, adding that representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) witnessed the process.

The PDP chairman also disclosed that some National Assembly and State Assembly candidates were also replaced as part of the reconciliation process to accommodate the faction.

He insisted that the party was now united and “waxing stronger” ahead of the polls.

Abacha was the party’s candidate 

in 2023 governorship election.He came a distant third, trailing the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election won by the then New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

Former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has said it is now difficult to rig an election.

Fayose said this when he featured on Channels Television’s Politics monitored by the column.ng

He said, “Politics is not a tea party. Asiwaju (referring to Tinubu) will have 12 million votes. Go and write it down. You know to rig election is now difficult. Very very difficult.”

On the controversy over the Rainbow Coalition convened by Wike, Fayose said Wike and the APC governors were backing Tinubu in different ways.

Wike and APC governors have been locking horns over the coalition, with the governors vowing not to support any alliance or political arrangement capable of weakening the APC or creating competing interests within the ruling party.

Wike had fired back at the governors, saying his target was making President Bola Tinubu secure a second term, and not to assist them win their states.

But Fayose said what mattered was whether the coalition could deliver votes for the president, particularly in Rivers State.

“I sincerely don’t want to join issues on these two sides. These are issues of simply everybody exercising their interest in the system. And everything I tell you again, is not about an NDC having an incursion as a result of what they are doing or ADC. No.”

“If Rainbow works for Wike in Rivers, and it can bring results, that’s all the president wants.

“If Rainbow works and can give him numbers, you understand? So be it. The government says in our state, after all, Wike will not come to their states. Wike will not come there and vote.

“He will not come there and form a coalition rainbow. And don’t let us deceive ourselves. Even in Nigeria. It’s only that rainbow is in a particular state. Where the handler says, I can handle the rainbow. If the rainbow is to carry everybody along, guarantee everybody’s interest, ensure that, okay, if rainbow produces this, produces that, he will get this, you will get that.

“As a man, who could flip an election, for a governorship candidate of people, and the PDP also could. If they have the capacity, and that they have done it, then he has capacity to do it in some states. The question is that, has he gone to any other state, to preach rainbow? No.”

Fayose said the disagreement between Wike and the APC governors should not be interpreted as a threat to Tinubu’s re-election.

“Everything works together for good, for the president. Without controversy, you can’t get far. Controversy in itself will help the election.”

“This controversy has nothing to do with the winning of the president. In fact, it makes it much better. Nigerians know who Wike is and the institution, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and they are both saying different things in different ways.

“Nigerian Governors’ Forum say we are not doing coalition, Wike says do what you have to do in your state. Whatever you feel comfortable with. If you are comfortable without a coalition, go ahead.

“The method that works for A might not work for B. And this is not even playing to the hands of the opposition, because the two of them are united behind the president. And don’t forget, these are men of strength in our country.

“You should expect this. The moment there is interest, power struggle, interest, you should expect all this. This has taken nothing out of the system.

“That is the truth. This has taken nothing out of the system. So in my understanding, they all say the same thing in different ways.

“But don’t forget, everybody has his own ego. Every one of us, including myself.”

Fayose is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) working for the reelection of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He is also the second known PDP chieftain with an appointment under the APC administration.

Some months ago, Tinubu named Fayose Chairman of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) Board.