Ima Niboro, spokesperson for the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Council, has called on Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to move beyond their public disagreements and concentrate on grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Niboro made the remarks on Wednesday during an appearance on Arise Television’s The Morning Show, where he described the dispute between Wike and the APC governors as an internal disagreement among political allies.
His comments followed a series of exchanges between Wike and the APC Governors’ Forum over the minister’s proposed “Rainbow Coalition,” a cross-party mobilisation effort aimed at supporting President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
The APC Governors’ Forum, chaired by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, recently said its members would not support any political arrangement capable of weakening the APC, undermining its candidates or adversely affecting Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
Wike subsequently criticised the governors, describing them as “politically lazy” and arguing that his support for Tinubu did not mean abandoning the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or preventing other parties from fielding candidates in state and legislative elections.
Responding to the disagreement, Niboro urged both sides to reduce their public rhetoric and focus on building political structures and engaging voters.
“When I said tone down the rhetoric, I do not mean stop working. Stop talking, go and work,” Niboro said.
He called on political leaders to establish their influence within their respective constituencies rather than continue trading accusations through the media.
“All this shouting is not taking anybody anywhere. Go and work. Go and establish your authority on your political base,” he said.
Niboro further urged party leaders to engage directly with voters in communities, markets and other grassroots settings.
“Get on the TV cameras. Go to the people. Go to the streets. Go to the marketplaces. Go and win the people,” he said.
He stressed that his message was not for political leaders to abandon their interests or influence, but to demonstrate that influence through organisation and grassroots engagement.
“If you’re a political leader, stop talking. Go and work. That is my point.”
The disagreement comes as political actors across different parties position themselves ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections. Wike has said his support is specifically for Tinubu’s presidential re-election, while maintaining that the PDP remains free to field candidates in governorship and legislative elections. The APC Governors’ Forum, meanwhile, has said its campaign commitment is to Tinubu and APC candidates at all levels.
