Osita Okechukwu, a foundation member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has urged President Bola Tinubu to resist mounting pressure from APC governors who want him to cut his political ties with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and step back from the emerging Rainbow Coalition.

In a press release on Wednesday, September 16, Okechukwu labelled the governors driving the demand "Few Pretender Governors" and took direct aim at their decision to air what he considered a routine party matter in public rather than through internal channels.

Okechukwu wrote, according to the Nigerian Tribune:

"In my 48 years of participation in Nigerian party politics, I have never seen where such an elementary issue was pretentiously thrown open. Don't you have access to Mr. President, and what is the proverbial caucus meant for?

"My summation is simple: Mr. President, beware of pretenders."

Tinubu-Wike alliance: Reason for Okechukwu's support

The APC chieftain argued that Wike's contribution to the party's 2023 presidential election victory makes the relationship worth protecting.

He said Wike's involvement at the time not only boosted APC's vote count but also cut into the support base of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

"It is not improper for Mr. President to maintain the alliance with Wike after we harvested the Wike masquerade, which not only boosted our great party's votes in 2023, but also denied His Excellency Atiku Abubakar substantial votes and will mobilise voters in states where some governors had alienated the electorate by personalising power," Okechukwu said.

Per Leadership, Okechukwu added that some of the governors calling for Wike's removal had failed to deliver on basic dividends of democracy in their own states and cautioned the President not to walk into what he described as a political trap driven by the failings of a few.

Governors' role in 2027 election campaign

On the Progressive Governors Forum's position that its members would spearhead Tinubu's 2027 re-election campaign, Okechukwu said the President had never overlooked the governors. He framed the issue as one of supplementary support rather than rivalry.

"Mr. President has never overlooked the governors. All he wants is supplementary votes from Wike, especially in states where the electorate is angry," he said.

Okechukwu urged the governors to focus on rebuilding trust with voters in their states instead of demanding that the President drop a political alliance that could widen the APC's electoral reach in 2027. He called on Tinubu to keep his options open and sustain a broad coalition going into the general elections.