Wike Sends Fresh Message To APC Governors Over Rainbow Coalition
The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has insisted that his Rainbow Coalition in Rivers and FCT is majorly aimed at securing President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Wike spoke during a media parley in Abuja on Tuesday.
He dismissed concerns that the coalition could weaken the All Progressives Congress (APC) or create divisions among its governors.
The minister said the initiative was designed to bring together APC members and supporters of Tinubu from other political parties to achieve a common electoral goal.
Wike, who coordinates the coalition’s activities in Rivers State and the FCT, maintained that the arrangement was not intended to replace the APC as the platform through which Tinubu would seek re-election.
He explained that the coalition accommodated political interests outside the ruling party while allowing them to work towards the president’s return to office.
“If you see that word, PBT/APC, it means those who are supporting the president who are not members of the party, together with the party, are working together to achieve that purpose,” Wike said.
The former Rivers State governor cited Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke as examples of political figures associated with the coalition’s state-level coordination.
He insisted that the president’s re-election remained the coalition’s primary objective, regardless of the political affiliations of those involved.
“The major thing is Mr President. Whatever we are going to do, whoever has any idea or anything to contribute is to the success of Mr President. That is the whole thing,” he said.
Wike also dismissed suggestions that the coalition had unsettled APC governors or could encourage defections from the ruling party.
“I don’t know what concerns there are. As far as I am concerned, there is no problem,” he added.
Using the FCT as an example, Wike said he had urged political stakeholders to support Tinubu and APC candidates for the National Assembly while allowing supporters of other parties to back candidates of their choice at other levels.
He argued that political circumstances differed across states, making it necessary to accommodate local interests while pursuing a common national objective.
The minister further maintained that political alliances across party lines were not new in Nigeria, although the current arrangement had made such cooperation more visible and formalised.
He urged Nigerians to assess Tinubu’s performance on its merits rather than allow partisan considerations to determine their judgment.
Wike’s comments come amid concerns within the APC over the Rainbow Coalition and its potential implications for the party’s electoral interests ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Politics Nigeria reported earlier that the governors announced their position after a closed-door meeting in Abuja amid growing political activities surrounding Wike and the Rainbow Coalition.
Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, the forum’s chairman, said the governors were committed to strengthening the APC and protecting the electoral interests of the party and its candidates at all levels.
