Rainbow Coalition: ‘You Can’t Be on Two Sides’ — Lawal Tells Wike

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has asked the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to clarify his political position over his involvement in the Rainbow Coalition.

Lawal said Wike could not support the All Progressives Congress (APC) while simultaneously backing candidates or political interests associated with other parties.

The governor spoke in an interview with Channels Television’s Inside Sources on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

His comments came amid disagreements between Wike and some APC governors over the Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party platform associated with efforts to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

Lawal said the position of the APC governors was clear and urged Wike to decide where his political allegiance lies.

“Our message is very very clear, be on one side, you can’t be on two sides. If you are in APC, please come out and support the APC, not you are supporting APC here and you are supporting some other political parties somewhere else,” he said.

The Zamfara governor maintained that the APC governors would not change their position despite Wike’s defence of the coalition.

“We maintain our stand and the message is very clear. He can speak, he can say whatever he wants to say, but our position has been very clear, APC all the way from head to toe,” Lawal said.

Asked whether the governors were effectively asking Wike to join the APC, Lawal replied, “Exactly.”

He also disclosed that he would raise the matter with President Tinubu when the President returns from his working visit to France.

“It’s something I will discuss with the President when he comes back. Let there be a clear line where this guy belongs to. It’s either he is in APC or he is out, simple. So I go with my brothers, the governors,” he said.

The dispute centres on Wike’s continued support for Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid despite his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Wike has maintained that his support for Tinubu does not require him to abandon the PDP or prevent the party from fielding candidates in governorship and legislative elections.

He has also defended the Rainbow Coalition as a cross-party platform for mobilising support for Tinubu, rejecting suggestions that it was established to destabilise existing political parties.

The Progressive Governors Forum, the umbrella body of APC governors, has, however, opposed political arrangements it believes could affect the ruling party and its candidates in the 2027 elections.

Wike has also been associated with PDP candidates in some states ahead of the 2027 elections, including Imo and Kwara, while maintaining his support for Tinubu at the presidential level.