APC Chief Fires Back at Wike Over ‘Lazy 419ers’ Remark

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Farouk Adamu Aliyu, has warned Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, against referring to governors elected on the party’s platform as “lazy 419ers.”

Aliyu, a former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, is the latest prominent APC chieftain to respond to the FCT Minister. He spoke on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

His comments followed the growing disagreement between Wike and the APC Governors’ Forum over the minister’s proposed “Rainbow Coalition” ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The APC governors, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, had rejected any political arrangement they believed could weaken the party or affect President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Wike subsequently hit back, describing the governors as “politically lazy”

while defending his position that politicians from different parties could support Tinubu for president while still contesting other elections on their respective party platforms.

Reacting to the exchange, Aliyu said members of the APC were unhappy with Wike’s choice of words.

“We in APC reject this name calling by Wike, calling our governors ‘Lazy, 419,’” he said.

According to him, Wike could not dictate how the APC should organise its campaigns or determine the party’s position on the 2027 elections.

“Wike cannot decide for us how we run our campaigns, and it is totally unacceptable for us to any coalition in such a way that, vote for Tinubu and another party. No, no,” Aliyu said.
He questioned why someone supporting President Tinubu would at the same time publicly attack members of the ruling party.

“So it is very, very uncalled for someone that is trying to help us now to be insulting members of our party,” he added.

The disagreement centres largely on Wike’s position that support for Tinubu at the presidential level does not prevent politicians from other parties from backing their own candidates in governorship and legislative elections.
Wike has also maintained that his activities are aimed at mobilising support for Tinubu and do not amount to an agreement with the APC.

The APC, however, has maintained that it wants a unified campaign structure for its candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

Aliyu has previously said governors would be expected to take charge of the party’s campaign activities in their respective states.