Fresh cracks have emerged within the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the proposed ‘Rainbow Coalition’ ahead of the 2027 general elections, as the party’s South-East leadership has rejected any arrangement that would allow support for President Bola Tinubu to be separated from backing APC candidates across other elective positions.
The South-East APC, in a statement issued by its National Vice Chairman and Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) Zonal Coordinator, Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, declared that the zone would adopt an ‘APC Top to Bottom’ strategy in the 2027 elections, insisting that the party must field and secure support for its candidates at all levels.
The position puts the South-East leadership at odds with the coalition approach being promoted by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and adds a regional dimension to the growing political differences between Wike and the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State.
The Rainbow Coalition proposition is built around rallying support for Tinubu’s re-election across party lines, rather than insisting that supporters must vote for the APC in every contest. The approach accommodates political actors who may support the President while retaining their affiliations with other parties or backing candidates on their respective platforms.
However, the South-East APC leadership has drawn a clear distinction between cross-party endorsement of Tinubu and the electoral fortunes of the APC, arguing that support for the President must translate into votes for the party’s candidates in the region.
“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 statement welcomed the reported adoption of Tinubu by leaders and governors associated with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Accord Party, but maintained that such endorsements would not change the zone’s commitment to the APC’s electoral interests.
It also rejected selective support for the President, warning against a situation in which individuals or groups endorse Tinubu for president but support opposition candidates in senatorial, House of Representatives, governorship, state assembly and local government elections.
The South-East position reflects the wider disagreement within the ruling party and its support networks over how Tinubu’s re-election campaign should accommodate politicians outside the APC without weakening the party’s structures ahead of the 2027 polls.
The statement also brings into focus the political face-off between Wike and Uzodimma, whose positions on the strategy for the 2027 elections have become a point of contention within the broader pro-Tinubu political camp.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State who has remained a member of the PDP while serving in Tinubu’s administration, has advocated a broader political arrangement that brings together supporters of the President across party lines.
His approach offers room for politicians to support Tinubu without necessarily abandoning their parties or committing to the APC in other elections.
Uzodimma, however, has consistently been associated with efforts to consolidate the APC’s political structures and strengthen the party’s electoral position. As chairman of the PGF, he also occupies a strategic position in coordinating the interests of APC governors.
The South-East APC, in its statement, expressly aligned itself with Uzodimma, describing his position on the 2027 voting pattern as consistent with the collective commitment of APC governors.
It defended the Imo governor against his critics, arguing that his position prioritised the long-term interests of the party and the region.
Although the statement did not mention Wike by name, its rejection of selective support and its insistence on an APC-only voting pattern underscore the disagreement over whether the President’s re-election should be pursued through a broad, cross-party coalition or through a strategy that also guarantees electoral support for the APC at other levels.
The differences could complicate efforts to maintain a common political front among Tinubu’s supporters as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
Arodiogbu said the South-East APC had resolved that the presidential ticket must be accompanied by support for APC candidates in all five states of the region.
He listed the re-election of Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, as well as support for APC candidates contesting Senate, House of Representatives, governorship, state assembly and local government elections, as central to the zone’s strategy.
The party leadership also called on members and stakeholders in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states to mobilise behind the strategy.
It commended APC governors Hope Uzodimma of Imo, Peter Mbah of Enugu and Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi, alongside 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.
The region currently has three APC governors, while the party is seeking to strengthen its presence across the South-East, where it has faced competition from other political platforms.
The 2027 elections are therefore expected to test the extent to which the APC can translate its federal governing position and support for Tinubu into electoral gains across the region.
For the South-East APC, however, the strategy is settled: support for Tinubu must go hand in hand with support for the party.
“APC Top to Bottom is not a slogan. It is our doctrine. It is our strategy. It is our non-negotiable position,” Arodiogbu declared.
