Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has challenged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to clarify his political allegiance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Lawal said Wike could not simultaneously support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election while backing candidates from other political parties in governorship and legislative contests.
The governor made the remarks in an interview with Channels Television’s Inside Sources on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday.
According to Lawal, the position of APC governors on Wike’s Rainbow Coalition had not changed, despite the minister’s continued defence of the cross-party platform.
“Our message is very, very clear: Be on one side. You can’t be in two sides. If you’re in APC, please come out and support APC.
“Not you’re supporting APC here and you’re supporting other political parties somewhere else. It doesn’t make sense. It’s not done anywhere,” Lawal said.
When asked whether the APC governors were effectively asking Wike to join the ruling party, the governor responded, “Exactly. What’s the essence?”
Lawal added that he intended to discuss Wike’s political position with Tinubu, arguing that the minister needed to make his allegiance clear.
“It’s something that I will take up with the President when he comes back. So, let there be a very, very clear line where this guy belongs to. It’s either he’s in APC or he’s out. It’s simple,” he said.
The disagreement is linked to Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, a political platform involving members of different parties that is mobilising support for Tinubu’s re-election.
Wike has maintained that while he supports Tinubu for president, political parties within the coalition should remain free to field candidates for governorship and legislative elections.
He has also rejected claims that the coalition is an APC platform, saying its primary objective is to rally support for Tinubu across party lines.
However, APC governors have objected to the arrangement, arguing that supporting the President at the presidential level while backing candidates from other parties in other elections could undermine the ruling party.
Lawal also reacted to Wike’s recent description of some APC governors as lazy.
He said Wike was aware of the individuals he was referring to, but insisted that such a description did not apply to his administration in Zamfara.
“Well, I mean, he knows the people he’s referring to, honestly. As for me, I mean, you can’t say that in Zamfara State.
“The difference is very, very clear. I invite anybody to come and see what we’re doing in Zamfara State,” Lawal said.
