Wike vs Uzodinma: You need to step in now – Sambo to Tinubu

Arise News Director and Politics Editor, Sumner Sambo, has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the ongoing political fight between Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, and governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, are currently at daggers drawn, and Sambo feels that President Tinubu has shown political weakness by failing to bring the situation under control.

The APC governors, led by Hope Uzodinma, had recently distanced themselves from Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, a move that further laid bare the rift between Wike and Uzodinma ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

In a direct reaction to the APC governors, Wike said the Rainbow Coalition had nothing to do with the APC.

He challenged the APC governors, especially Uzodinma, saying politics was local and that those having problems in their states should resolve them instead of using the re-election of the President to whip up sentiments.

Wike said he had always stood for mobilising support for the re-election of Tinubu, adding that his crime against the APC governors was that they wanted to impose candidates on his camp.

Speaking on Arise News on Tuesday, Sambo said it was beginning to look like there was a personal fight between Wike and Uzodinma, calling on the President to step in.

He said, “Indeed, for the election, it’s a very difficult time for him [Wike], and I understand when all the governors of the governing party are standing up against you. It can’t be easy. I mean, it would never be easy. You’ll have to fight back, and he’s actually a man of steel.

“But what I would say is that I think the President, having seen the effort that Wike has put in supporting him, wouldn’t also want to discountenance the support that he brings, especially because he brings a whole wealth of experience politically, in terms of governance and all of that.

“But the angle the fight is actually going to is what I don’t really think it should, and that’s where the President needs to step in because it begins to look like a personal political fight between himself and Governor Uzodinma.

“Now, I understand Governor Uzodinma is also under pressure, being the person in charge of the Progressive Governors Forum. He has to show absolute loyalty, and then, of course, Secretary of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, the one in charge of the Renewed Hope, and then, of course, being a senatorial candidate for the election.

“Now, this is where the problem actually comes for him, too, because within the APC, you see that there is this similar crisis that’s ongoing. People are thinking maybe he has so much on his plate to chew; he should just push off a little.

“But, of course, he’s also been saying that he has the capacity to deliver, and that’s why he was able to rally round his colleagues.

“But I think that they couldn’t have come out openly in the way they did. I think it’s beginning to show the weaknesses of President Tinubu himself, that he is unable to call these two people together. So, the President’s political skills should have come into play to see how he can help douse tension.

“I’m also beginning to wonder: Is it because of the INEC list that was released that made the APC governors come out all out now?

“Because Wike has 103 senatorial candidates and then several House of Representatives candidates that are out, and then you see that there are about six key states that the Rainbow Coalition is actually in.”