By Abubakar M Kareto
The fierce power tussle currently rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has created a major headache for President Bola Tinubu. Instead of battling opposition parties, the President finds himself caught in the middle of a messy, intra-party war among his own top allies. The recent Federal High Court ruling in Abuja that nullified Governor Hope Uzodinma’s senatorial ticket and declared former Governor Rochas Okorocha as the authentic candidate for Imo West is not just a local court case; it is the spark that has blown open a deep crisis within the ruling party.
At the center of this storm is Governor Hope Uzodinma. As his second term as Imo governor winds down, his next political goal is to move to the National Assembly and take charge of the Senate. But that ambition hit a brick wall when the court sacked him and handed the ticket to his arch-rival, Rochas Okorocha. Fresh from his legal victory, Okorocha fired back hard, openly embracing Minister Nyesom Wike’s cross-party movement known as the Rainbow Coalition. Okorocha boasted that he is taking the coalition straight to Imo State to mobilize alternative structures for Tinubu, while taking a swipe at Uzodinma by claiming that the governor’s political weight only exists inside the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
For Rochas Okorocha, this brutal fight between Wike and Hope came as manna straight from heaven, serving up a completely free political feast handed to him on a silver platter. Having been sidelined in Imo APC dynamics for years, Rochas saw the fallout between Wike and Uzodinma as his ultimate political Uhuru. By tapping into Wike’s cross-party machinery, Okorocha easily turned his rival’s regional troubles into his own unexpected comeback, proving that in Nigerian political warfare, one man’s bitter fight is another man’s free lunch.
Governor Uzodinma has refused to back down, drawing a sharp red line against any parallel alignment like the Rainbow Coalition within the ruling party. He warned party coordinators and loyalists that anyone caught romancing external or cross-party groups will face immediate sanctions. Yet, Uzodinma’s political battlefront is massive and punishing. From trying to deliver the mandatory 25 percent votes for President Tinubu in the South-East where Peter Obi commands immense loyalty, to managing a resurgent Rochas Okorocha at home and protecting his turf against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the Imo governor has his hands full.
Fueling this entire fire is Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, whose political moves are driven by deep-seated payback. Wike holds Uzodinma responsible for secretly backing Governor Siminalayi Fubara during their brutal political fallout in Rivers State, giving Fubara the courage to fight back. Because of this, Wike has made it his mission to put pressure on Uzodinma’s base. Many party stakeholders view Wike’s style, marked by confrontation and high-handedness, as a major distraction that brings unnecessary trouble and division into the APC rather than genuine electoral value.
This whole mess exposes a major weakness among APC governors: their alarming quietness when key members are targeted. Holding massive institutional leverage, the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), which Uzodinma chairs, ought to be a solid shield for the party’s structure. It remains deeply regrettable that these governors failed to stand together to protect Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara during his political travails. Allowing external figures and non-party actors to bully, divide, and dictate terms to elected governors sets a very dangerous precedent.
For President Tinubu, the political arithmetic for 2027 rests squarely on the shoulders of state governors. Governors control the party machinery, grassroots mobilization, and the real structure needed to win elections. Underestimating their strength or allowing outsiders to destabilize them will only scatter the solid foundation of his government. If the APC governors want to survive this storm, they must stand firm as one indivisible body and push back against any attempt to undermine their collective authority.
Lastly, how President Tinubu handles this mess will determine the stability of the ruling party heading toward 2027. The big question on everyone’s mind is simple: who in Aso Rock has Hope Uzodinma’s back, and will they stand strong with him as the pressure mounts from the courts, the streets of Imo, and the corridors of Abuja? If the presidency handles this poorly, a minor family squabble could easily blow up into a major structural crack in the ruling party.
About the Author
Abubakar M. Kareto is a Public Affairs Analyst and Communications Strategist focusing on governance, public policy, and institutional reform across Nigeria and Africa. He can be reached on X @amkareto and via email at amkareto@gmail.com.
