We Won’t Let You Use Us To Rebuild PDP You Destroyed – APC Chieftain Tells Wike

A former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Farouq Aliyu, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of arrogance amid his growing disagreement with APC governors ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Aliyu made the remarks on Thursday while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he reacted to Wike’s criticism of APC governors and the party’s opposition to political alliances that could affect its candidates in 2027.

Wike had, during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time, described APC governors as “politically lazy” while commenting on the ongoing political realignments ahead of the elections.

His remarks followed a resolution by the APC Governors’ Forum rejecting political alliances capable of undermining the re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu or weakening the party’s candidates.

The governors reached the resolution at a closed-door meeting in Abuja amid increasing attention on Wike’s proposed “Rainbow Coalition”.

Chairman of the forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, said the governors were committed to strengthening the APC and protecting the electoral interests of the party and its candidates.

Uzodimma said the forum had unanimously resolved that its members would not participate in, support or endorse any alliance capable of undermining Tinubu’s re-election, weakening the APC or adversely affecting any of the party’s candidates.

Reacting to the development, Aliyu said Wike’s approach amounted to political arrogance, adding that while the APC appreciated his past actions, the party would not allow itself to be used to revive the Peoples Democratic Party.

“Arrogance is not good in politics. We are not trying to be arrogant to the Nigerian people, but that’s what we think Wike is bringing.

“We appreciate what he did for us, and anybody that is willing to destroy his party for us, we welcome him, like Wike tried to destroy his party.

“Now, we will not allow him to also use our party, the APC, to build his own party, the PDP. He cannot come through the back door in the name of support for President Tinubu,” he said.

The disagreement also took a sharper turn in Ebonyi State, where Governor Francis Nwifuru warned that he had the political capacity to confront anyone seeking to undermine his administration.

Nwifuru spoke on Wednesday at a political event in Abakaliki while responding to Wike’s comments about APC governors.

The governor also addressed claims that President Tinubu had allegedly agreed to hand Ebonyi State to the PDP and Wike ahead of the 2027 elections.

Nwifuru dismissed the claims and said he was not intimidated by any political arrangement.

“This sentiment came out on the grounds that some people are going around saying that they discussed with Mr President that he has given Ebonyi to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

“They also said that the President has given Ebonyi to their leader, Nyesom Wike. We sympathise with them.

“I want to sound this way as your governor that we are not afraid. We have all it takes to destroy whoever is trying us,” the governor said.