The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has defended the cross-party Rainbow Coalition, saying his immediate political priority is to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 presidential election.
Wike spoke on Monday in Abuja while addressing journalists after inspecting ongoing road projects across the Federal Capital Territory.
The former Rivers State governor also rejected allegations that the Rainbow Coalition was established to destabilise existing political parties or weaken the ruling All Progressives Congress.
He described the allegations as baseless, saying the coalition was designed to bring together politicians and other Nigerians from different political platforms who support Tinubu’s administration and his bid for a second term.
“My primary concern is whether Tinubu will be re-elected for a second term, and I have made it known from the onset that I am going to support Mr President with all my might and strength,” Wike said.
The minister said members of the coalition were not being asked to abandon their political parties. Rather, he said, the platform was intended to mobilise support for the President across party lines.
Wike also clarified that his support for Tinubu did not amount to an agreement that the Peoples Democratic Party would not field candidates in other elections scheduled for 2027.
He had previously said his support was specifically for the President and that the PDP could still contest governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.
“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,” Wike said in his latest clarification.
His comments come amid growing political debate within the broader pro-Tinubu camp over the coalition’s activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Progressive Governors Forum, chaired by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, has previously raised concerns about the coalition, with reports indicating that some APC figures view its activities as potentially affecting the party’s candidates in state and legislative contests.
Wike, however, maintained that supporting Tinubu for the presidency and contesting other elections were separate matters.
He pointed to the 2023 elections, when voters in some states supported different political parties at presidential and legislative levels, arguing that Nigerians could similarly make different choices across the ballot in 2027.
The minister has also dismissed suggestions that the Rainbow Coalition is primarily a vehicle for positioning him for the 2031 presidential election. He said it was premature to make such calculations and maintained that his present focus was the 2027 presidential contest.
The coalition has attracted attention because of Wike’s continued membership of the PDP while serving in the administration of a president elected on the APC platform.
Wike was one of the five PDP governors known as the G5 who opposed the party’s presidential candidate during the 2023 election and subsequently supported Tinubu.
The minister has continued to maintain that his political support for Tinubu is based on his assessment of the President’s administration and is separate from the question of which party should control state and legislative offices.
As the 2027 elections approach, the activities of the Rainbow Coalition are likely to remain a subject of political debate, particularly over how cross-party mobilisation for the presidential contest may interact with contests for governorship and legislative seats.
For now, Wike’s stated position is that his priority is Tinubu’s re-election, while political parties retain the freedom to field candidates for other positions.
