Wike told to join APC or step aside
Former South-East spokesman to President Bola Tinubu, Denge Josef Onoh, has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to either formally join the All Progressives Congress (APC) or step aside from the party’s affairs.
Onoh, who is also Chairman of the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, raised concerns over the political alliance associated with Wike ahead of the 2027 general election.
He described the emerging alliance as a threat to the APC and argued that it could create divisions within the party if not properly handled.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Onoh questioned the electoral strength of the coalition, saying its influence outside Rivers State remained uncertain.
He argued that Wike’s political base was mainly in Rivers and that attempts to reproduce the same political arrangement in other parts of the country might not produce the expected results for the APC.
Onoh also dismissed comparisons between Wike’s current political alliance and the G5 governors’ group that operated before the 2023 general election.
According to him, the G5 was made up of five serving governors who controlled political structures in their respective states and had a clearer regional and political agenda.
He said the present alliance did not have the same level of organisation or control of state structures, arguing that many of the people associated with it were former political office holders and individuals without strong grassroots structures.
Onoh further accused Wike of creating tension within the APC through his disagreements with some governors, including Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma.
He claimed that such disagreements could weaken the ruling party’s structures in different regions and create internal conflicts ahead of the 2027 polls.
The former presidential spokesman also opposed any arrangement that would encourage voters to support the APC presidential candidate while backing candidates from other parties in National Assembly elections.
He warned that such voting patterns could reduce the number of lawmakers elected on the APC platform and make it difficult for the party to secure a strong majority in the legislature.
Onoh referred to the 2023 elections in Enugu State, where different voting patterns were recorded across presidential and legislative contests, as an example of how such political arrangements could affect party performance.
He urged APC leaders and supporters to resist any attempt to establish a separate political structure within the ruling party.
Onoh said Wike needed to make his political position clear if he intended to continue influencing affairs within the APC.
He maintained that the FCT minister could not remain connected to the Peoples Democratic Party and at the same time seek to shape the internal direction of the APC without formally becoming a member.
Onoh therefore asked Wike to register as an APC member in his ward if he intended to participate fully in the party’s activities.
He added that the APC already had the political structures and grassroots network needed to campaign for President Tinubu’s re-election across the country without relying on what he described as divisive political arrangements.
