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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Ahead of next year’s presidential election, there is an easy calm in the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the decision of the party’s Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), to stoutly oppose any political arrangement in any disguise or form to threaten President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Chairman of the forum and governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, made the disclosure while reading the communique raised after the meeting of the governors in Abuja.
Apparently alluding to the arrangements adopted in some states, the declaration may not be unconnected with the perceived brewing animosity among the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, Kwara State governor, AbdulRazaq AbdulRahaman, and Uzodimma, the leader of the forum.
In the intruiging circumstances while Wike is supporting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2027 elections in Imo state, he is also throwing his weight behind Senator Saliu Mustapha contesting Kwara Central Senatorial election against AbdulRazaq.
Mustapha, a former member of APC, was pushed out of the party after he was denied the governorship and Kwara Central Senatorial ticket in favour of the governor, forcing him to defect for the PDP to re-contest in 2027.
Reading the communique, Uzodimma stated that the governors are strictly committed to the official campaign architecture of the party, dismissing any arrangements that could cause internal division or weaken the party’s electoral prospects.
“The APC Governors Forum unanimously resolved that its members will not participate in, support or endorse any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining the re-election of Mr President, weakening the APC or adversely affecting any candidate of the party at all levels,” Uzodimma stated.
He further emphasised that the governors’ electoral mandate is strictly tied to candidates produced by the party’s official organs, warning against competing interests or fragmented loyalties.
“In other words, the forum has no intention to support any candidate at any level that is not an APC candidate because our candidates who are contesting the election are being sponsored by our party,” he said.
Equally reaffirming the forum’s strategy to consolidate power through unity, Governor Uzodimma noted that the full weight of the governors’ campaign machinery will align strictly with the leadership and directives of President Tinubu and the APC high command.
“The governors’ campaign commitment is exclusively to all APC candidates. All levels of the party campaign architecture will align with the expectations of Mr President and the strategic objectives of the party,” Uzodimma added.
