Rainbow coalition backing Tinubu’s re-election, but has no ties with APC – Wike

Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), says he is only out to support the second-term bid of President Bola Tinubu and not any other candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Wike, in a statement issued on Tuesday by Lere Olayinka, his media aide, said the Rainbow Coalition he founded in Rivers state has no affiliation with the APC.

The minister’s comment comes as the APC governors on Monday said they would not endorse any alliance or political arrangements that could undermine Tinubu’s re-election bid or the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections.

Speaking in Abuja after the forum’s meeting, Hope Uzodimma, Imo governor and chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), said his colleagues would exclusively support Tinubu and APC candidates at all levels in the 2027 elections.

‘I NEVER SAID PDP WON’T FIELD OTHER CANDIDATES’

Wike said he never reached an agreement with the APC before he and other members of the G5 governors supported Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.

He said the same principle should apply in 2027, noting that voters can support Tinubu for president while choosing candidates from other parties in state and legislative elections.

“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?” Wike asked.

“Was it Rainbow Coalition that also made APC win National Assembly elections in Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu States where the President did not have ten percent of the votes?

“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?”

The minister urged all stakeholders to put the presidential election first, saying, “after the President must have been reelected, we can all go and face elections in our states”.

“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 state house of assembly elections,” he said.

“Most importantly, Rainbow Coalition has nothing to do with the 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 he founded the Rainbow Coalition in 2025 as a cross-party alliance under the “Renewed Hope Family”, with members drawn from the APC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The minister said the coalition’s primary objective is to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election, but members remain free to contest elections under other political parties. (TheCable)