Rainbow coalition platform solely for Tinubu, says Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed concerns by All Progressives Congress (APC) governors over the activities of the Rainbow Coalition, insisting that the platform has no connection with the ruling party’s internal political structures.

Wike said the coalition was established primarily to mobilise support across political parties for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

His position followed a warning by APC governors against the emergence of parallel political structures that could undermine the party or create divided loyalty ahead of the 2027 elections.

Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, conveyed the governors’ position after a closed-door meeting in Abuja on Monday.

However, Wike, in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said there was no basis for the governors to view the Rainbow Coalition as a threat to the APC.

“The coalition is a platform for other political parties that are pleased with the good works of Tinubu and are supporting his re-election.

“It has nothing to do with APC. Rather, it is our own way of mobilising support across political parties for Mr President, who has done well to deserve a second term,” Wike said.

The FCT minister stressed that the coalition was not established to secure electoral victories for individuals in their respective states, arguing that political actors facing challenges at the state level should resolve them locally rather than use Tinubu’s re-election campaign to generate political tensions.

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Wike recalled that he and other members of the G5 did not require meetings with APC governors before supporting Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.

He maintained that his political focus for 2027 was the president’s re-election and not the outcome of governorship or legislative contests in individual states.

According to him, political mobilisation should begin at the grassroots, with supporters concentrating on securing votes for Tinubu at polling units.

“After the president is re-elected, we can all go and face elections in our various states,” he said.

Wike also clarified that his support for Tinubu did not amount to an agreement that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would abandon its candidates in the 2027 elections.

“What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the re-election of Tinubu.

“I never promised anyone that PDP will not field candidates to contest governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly elections,” he said.

The former Rivers State governor further argued that voters were capable of making different choices in presidential and other elections, citing the 2023 elections in the South-East.

He noted that voters in Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi could support one party at the presidential level while choosing candidates from another party for legislative positions.

“If in 2023, the voters in Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi voted APC in the senatorial election and voted another party in the presidential election, they won’t be confused in 2027, provided we all support the president genuinely this time,” Wike said.