I won’t tolerate alternative candidates – Uzo Kalu on Wike, APC governors clash

Senator representing the Abia North senatorial district, Orji Uzor Kalu has reacted to the face-off between the All Progressives Congress, APC Governors’ Forum and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.

MEDIA TODAY reports that APC governors recently rejected the Rainbow Coalition founded by Wike, which has repeatedly fielded candidates in many states.

According to the governors, the coalition fielding other candidates will hurt APC flag bearers, including President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.

However, Wike insisted that the coalition is 100 percent in support of Tinubu’s re-election, accusing some of the aggrieved governors of being lazy and failing to work for Tinubu in 2023. 

Reacting, Senator Kalu, in a video shared on his official Facebook page on Friday, said the governors were right to oppose the fielding of other candidates in their respective states.

Kalu added that he would also resist such a move if he were a governor facing a similar political threat.

“Some governors have a very good case, I cannot be a governor and you are sponsoring an alternative candidate in my state. I will not allow that to happen”, he said.

He, however, appealed to both parties to pull back their swords and unite towards President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in January 2027.

“I appeal to the governors as Minister Nyesom Wike who use to be governor. We should not quarrel at this time of our campaign. Campaign is not done in Abuja so we should go back to the grassroot.

“Both parties should pull their swords back. We need the governors’ forum very well and we also need Minister Wike very well.

“I think the governors have their own strengths and Minister Wike has his own strengths too”, he said.