2027: Wike Fires Back at Uzodimma Over Rejection of Rainbow Coalition

The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has hit back at Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodimma, over the rejection of his Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Wike questioned Uzodimma’s ability to deliver overwhelming support for President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, despite the All Progressives Congress recording victories in some National Assembly elections in the South-East.

The FCT minister said his priority ahead of 2027 was to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election, insisting that the Rainbow Coalition was not an APC platform and should not be interpreted as a threat to the ruling party.

Wike made his position known in a statement on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka.

According to him, the coalition was designed to bring together politicians from different political parties who were satisfied with Tinubu’s performance and willing to support his bid for a second term.

He said he had never promised that the Peoples Democratic Party would not field candidates against APC candidates in governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly elections.

Wike said, “What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the re-election of the President. I never promised anyone that PDP will not field candidates to contest governorship, National Assembly and States House of Assembly elections.”

He added that the Rainbow Coalition had nothing to do with the APC.

“Most importantly, Rainbow Coalition has nothing to do with the APC. Rather, it is my own way of mobilising support across political parties for Mr President, who has done well to deserve a second term,” he said.

The minister also took a swipe at Uzodimma’s political record, questioning the voting pattern in Imo State during the 2023 elections.

Wike asked how the APC secured two senatorial seats in Imo during the same election in which Tinubu reportedly received less than 15 per cent of the presidential votes in the state.

“In Imo State under Governor Hope Uzodimma, how did APC win two Senate seats in 2023, in an election held the same day with that of the President and APC had less than 15 percent in the presidential election? Was it Rainbow Coalition? Were the voters confused?” he asked.

He similarly cited the National Assembly results in Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu, where APC candidates won legislative seats despite Tinubu recording less than 10 per cent of the presidential votes in some of the states.

Wike argued that the voting pattern demonstrated that Nigerians could vote differently in presidential and other elections.

He maintained that his political focus was the presidential election, adding that politicians should resolve their local political disputes without using Tinubu’s re-election bid to settle state-level disagreements.

“Politics is local and those having problems in their States should resolve them instead of using the reelection of the President to whip up sentiments,” Wike said.

He further stated that he never met with the APC before he and other members of the G5 governors supported Tinubu in 2023.

According to him, his current commitment remains focused on ensuring Tinubu secures another term in office.

The remarks came shortly after APC governors, led by Uzodimma, rejected political alliances capable of weakening the ruling party or undermining Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.

At a closed-door meeting in Abuja, the APC Governors’ Forum resolved that its members would not participate in or endorse any alliance that could adversely affect the party’s candidates or Tinubu’s re-election.

Uzodimma said the forum was committed to strengthening the APC and protecting the electoral interests of the party and its candidates at all levels.

“The APC Governors Forum unanimously resolved that its members will not participate in, support, or endorse any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining the reelection of Mr. President, weakening the APC, or adversely affecting any candidate of the party at all levels,” he said.