A spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential campaign council, Ima Niboro, has urged FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and APC governors to end their public exchanges and focus on mobilising support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.
Niboro made the call on Wednesday during an appearance on Arise Television’s The Morning Show. He described the disagreement between Wike and the governors as a quarrel among political siblings.
His comments followed a public disagreement over Wike’s proposed cross-party mobilisation for Tinubu’s re-election. Wike had criticised APC governors as “politically lazy” after they rejected the proposed arrangement.
The chairman of the APC Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, had earlier said the governors would not support any political arrangement that could undermine the APC or Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
Uzodimma maintained that APC governors remained committed to supporting candidates of the party at all levels.
Wike subsequently questioned the political records of some APC governors, particularly Uzodimma’s ability to mobilise support for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election. He said his priority ahead of 2027 was to mobilise support for Tinubu rather than interfere in state-level political contests.
Responding to the dispute, Niboro urged both sides to reduce their public rhetoric and demonstrate their political influence through grassroots engagement.
“When I said tone down the rhetoric, I do not mean stop working. Stop talking, go and work,” Niboro said.
He urged political leaders to strengthen their structures and engage directly with voters instead of continuing their public exchanges.
“All this shouting is not taking anybody anywhere. Go and work. Go and establish your authority on your political base,” he said.
Niboro also called on the politicians to take their campaigns beyond television appearances and engage people directly in their communities.
“Get on the TV cameras. Go to the people. Go to the streets. Go to the marketplaces. Go and win the people,” he said.
The campaign spokesperson said political leaders should demonstrate their influence through tangible grassroots mobilisation rather than prolonged public arguments.
He added that his position was not a call for either Wike or the APC governors to surrender their political territories. Rather, he said they should demonstrate their respective political strength through work at the grassroots.
“If you’re a political leader, stop talking. Go and work. That is my point,” Niboro said.
