APC Governors Vow Not to Back Non-APC Candidates in 2027

APC governors have rejected any political alliance or arrangement that could undermine President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid or weaken the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The position was announced by Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, after a closed-door meeting of the governors at the Imo State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.

Uzodimma said the governors had unanimously agreed not to participate in, support or endorse any alliance capable of undermining Tinubu’s re-election, weakening the APC or affecting its candidates at any level.

He said the governors’ campaign activities would focus exclusively on APC candidates, adding that the party’s campaign structure would align with Tinubu’s re-election bid and the strategic objectives of the APC.

The governors’ position comes amid growing political tensions over the Rainbow Coalition championed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.

Wike, who remains a registered member of the Peoples Democratic Party, has continued to maintain that the coalition is primarily aimed at securing Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

However, the emergence of coalition candidates and political structures outside the APC has raised concerns among some party members over possible divided loyalties and competition for votes.

The APC governors warned that political arrangements involving candidates flying different party flags could create confusion among voters and weaken the party’s candidates during the elections.

The issue has reportedly become more pronounced in states including Rivers, Kwara, Gombe and Cross River, where shifting political alliances have continued to reshape the political landscape ahead of 2027.

Uzodimma said the governors would not support candidates who are not contesting under the APC, stressing that the party is responsible for sponsoring its candidates across the various levels of the election.

The Progressive Governors Forum also pledged to take charge of President Tinubu’s re-election campaign across their respective states.

The latest development is expected to heighten the political debate over the role of Wike’s Rainbow Coalition and its relationship with the APC as political parties and alliances position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.