Aiyedatiwa Defends Wike Coalition, Says Supporting Tinubu Across Party Lines Will Not Weaken APC

Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has said that political alliances supporting President Bola Tinubu across party lines will not weaken the All Progressives Congress or affect the fortunes of its candidates in the elections.

The governor made the remarks while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday.

His comment comes amid growing disagreement within the APC over the Rainbow Coalition led by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.

APC governors had earlier said they would not support or participate in any alliance capable of undermining the party or President Tinubu’s re-election campaign.

The disagreement has largely centred on whether politicians can support Tinubu for president while simultaneously backing candidates from other parties in governorship and legislative elections.

Wike has maintained that such a possibility is part of the freedom available to politicians in a democratic system.

In September, the FCT Minister said the coalition was established to mobilise support for Tinubu across political parties and insisted that it was not an APC structure.

The coalition is a platform for other political parties that are pleased with the good works of Tinubu and are supporting his re-election. It has nothing to do with APC. Rather, it is our own way of mobilising support across political parties for Mr President, who has done well to deserve a second term, Wike said.

Wike also argued that supporting Tinubu at the presidential level does not mean that members of the coalition must support APC candidates in every other election.

That position has, however, drawn opposition from several APC leaders and governors.

Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal had earlier challenged Wike to clarify his political allegiance, insisting that the minister could not simultaneously support Tinubu and work with other parties against APC candidates.

The Ondo governor, however, appears to be drawing a distinction between his personal relationship with Wike, the Rainbow Coalition and his formal political allegiance to the APC.

For Aiyedatiwa, the existence of such alliances does not automatically mean that the APC is being weakened.

He maintained that politicians should be free to determine the groups or coalitions they want to associate with, provided their political interests are clear.