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A political stakeholder, Abdulhakeem Adegoke Alawuje, has urged the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly the party’s governors and other key stakeholders, to embrace greater political understanding, accommodation and strategic cooperation with former Rivers State Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike.
Alawuje made the call in a statement issued against the backdrop of political differences within the wider camp supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying personal disagreements should not be allowed to undermine broader political objectives.
He argued that politics requires wisdom, patience and negotiation, particularly when individuals and groups with different backgrounds and interests share a common objective.
“Wike may not be a man that everybody within our political family naturally wants to embrace, but politics is not always about who we like. Sometimes, it is about understanding who we need, what role such a person can play, and how our collective interests can be protected,” Alawuje said.
He cautioned APC leaders against unnecessary confrontation or discrimination against individuals who may not be formal members of the party but are contributing to the political efforts and support base around the President.
According to him, political movements extend beyond the boundaries of formal party membership, with individuals and groups often bringing political structures, influence, relationships and experience to broader political projects.
“We must learn to distinguish between party membership and political partnership. Not everybody working for the success of our common political objective must necessarily carry an APC membership card,” he said.
“Some people contribute their structures, influence, relationships, resources and political experience from outside the party. Such contributions should not automatically be treated as threats,” he added.
Alawuje described Wike as a significant political actor whose relationship with the APC leadership should be handled with political maturity, stressing that disagreements should be managed through dialogue rather than allowed to degenerate into permanent hostility.
He, however, urged Wike to respect the structures, rules and internal processes of the APC whenever his political activities intersect with the party, while calling on APC leaders to engage political allies and external supporters with respect and strategic wisdom.
“Wike needs the APC, and the APC also needs every genuine political force that is willing to work towards the same objective. Nobody gains when political disagreements become permanent conflicts,” Alawuje said.
“We must learn to manage our differences without destroying our common ground.”
The political stakeholder further warned against allowing personal disagreements among political actors to overshadow issues that could affect the stability and effectiveness of the wider political coalition.
He said the APC could maintain its institutional identity and internal discipline while remaining open to dialogue with individuals and groups whose political interests align with its broader objectives.
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“The greatest mistake any political family can make is to spend all its energy fighting people who could otherwise be partners,” Alawuje said.
“We should not allow individual disagreements to consume the political capital required to pursue our collective goals.”
Alawuje also appealed to supporters on both sides to tone down inflammatory rhetoric, personal attacks and unnecessary public confrontations, saying political relationships can survive disagreements when communication channels remain open.
He maintained that building a broad political coalition should not be left solely to formal party structures.
“There are individuals who are not members of our party but who are prepared to make enormous sacrifices for President Tinubu and the political objectives they believe in,” he said.
“We should not push such people away simply because they are not formally within our party structure. Rather, we should understand what motivates them, engage them respectfully and find areas where our interests converge.”
Looking ahead, Alawuje called on APC governors, national leaders, ministers, political stakeholders and supporters of the President to embrace dialogue, accommodation and strategic engagement.
He said political alliances were often strengthened not by complete agreement among stakeholders but by their ability to work together despite differences.
“We cannot build a strong political family by insisting that everyone must think exactly like us. We need discipline, but we also need wisdom. We need loyalty, but we also need inclusion,” Alawuje said.
“We need party structures, but we also need the support of individuals and groups outside those structures.”
He urged the various political actors to put aside unnecessary bitterness and concentrate on their shared political objectives.
“Let us disagree without becoming enemies. Let us negotiate without humiliation. Let us enforce party discipline without closing the door to genuine political partnership. Most importantly, let us never allow our personal differences to become bigger than the objectives we claim to share,” he said.
