Arise News Director and Politics Editor, Sumner Sambo, has urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the escalating disagreement involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma.
Sambo made the call during an appearance on Arise News on Tuesday, against the backdrop of growing differences between Wike and the APC governors over political alliances ahead of the 2027 elections.
The dispute became more pronounced after the Progressive Governors Forum, led by Uzodinma, declared that its members would not support any political arrangement capable of weakening the APC or affecting the party's candidates in the 2027 polls.
Wike, however, has maintained that his support for Tinubu's re-election should not be interpreted as support for APC candidates contesting governorship and legislative elections.
The FCT minister has also defended the Rainbow Coalition, saying the platform was created to mobilise support for Tinubu across political parties and had no connection with the APC.
Speaking on the development, Sambo said the disagreement appeared to be taking a direction that required presidential intervention to prevent further escalation.
He said, “The angle the fight is actually going to is what I don’t really think it should, and that’s where the President needs to step in because it begins to look like a personal political fight between himself and Governor Uzodinma.”
Sambo also pointed to Uzodinma's position within the APC, noting that the Imo governor heads the Progressive Governors Forum and is involved in the ruling party's preparations for the 2027 election.
According to the political analyst, the situation could become more complicated because of competing political interests within the ruling party and Wike's support for candidates outside the APC in some contests.
He further raised questions about whether the release of the Independent National Electoral Commission's candidate lists had contributed to the latest tension, citing the number of candidates reportedly linked to Wike's political camp.
The disagreement comes as political parties and their allies intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the APC governors publicly committing themselves to supporting the party's candidates at all levels.
