Niboro urges Wike, APC governors to focus on work

Abimbola Joseph

Ima Niboro, spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 campaign council, has urged FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and APC governors to stop their public exchanges and focus on grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general election.

Niboro made the call on Wednesday during an appearance on Arise Television’s The Morning Show, describing the disagreement between Wike and the governors as a “quarrel among siblings”.

The controversy followed Wike’s criticism of APC governors as “politically lazy” after they rejected his proposed cross-party coalition to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election.

Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, chairman of the APC Progressive Governors’ Forum, had said the governors would not support any political arrangement that could undermine the party or Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Uzodimma said the governors remained committed to supporting APC candidates at all levels.

Wike, however, questioned the governors’ political records, particularly Uzodimma’s ability to mobilise support for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election. He also said his focus ahead of 2027 was to mobilise support for Tinubu rather than interfere in state-level politics.

Responding to the disagreement, Niboro called on both sides to concentrate on building political structures and engaging directly with voters instead of trading accusations publicly.

“When I said tone down the rhetoric, I do not mean stop working. Stop talking, go and work,” he said.

Niboro said political leaders should establish their influence at the grassroots rather than rely on television appearances and public statements.

“All this shouting is not taking anybody anywhere. Go and work. Go and establish your authority on your political base,” he said.

He urged politicians to take their message directly to voters in communities, streets and marketplaces.

“Get on the TV cameras. Go to the people. Go to the streets. Go to the marketplaces. Go and win the people,” he said.

Niboro also dismissed what he called “high-sounding grammar”, arguing that public rhetoric would achieve little without grassroots mobilisation.

“Stop all this high-sounding grammar that they are blowing everywhere. It is not leading anybody anywhere. Go and work,” he said.

He clarified that his appeal was not for either side to abandon its political interests, but to demonstrate its influence through grassroots engagement. “If you’re a political leader, stop talking. Go and work. That is my point,” Niboro said.