By Ismaila Jimoh, Abuja
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike has made it known that the “Rainbow Coalition” in Rivers State has not Endorced any governorship candidate yet.
Wike is saying this in the light of the speculation going round that the coalition has pronounced automatic endorsement of a governorship candidate for the forthcoming 2027 general elections in the state.
Speaking on Saturday at a high-profile luncheon organized for candidates of the coalition in Port Harcourt, Wike clarified that while the political bloc has firmly resolved to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, it has not settled on any individual for the state’s top job.
Addressing the cross-party gathering, Wike expressed displeasure over premature victory celebrations by certain political factions, noting that such claims create a false impression and undermine his own political standing, especially given his affiliation with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
”The Rainbow Coalition, we have not chosen who will be the governor of Rivers State. But we have candidates who have emerged under the Rainbow Coalition.
The only person we have chosen is that we are going to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Wike declared.
He cautioned against attempts to railroad the coalition into an unaligned endorsement.
”When I hear some people came here and say this, it’s an indictment on me when there’s a candidate from my own party too, and we have not sat to say anything .
At the end of the day, where is Rainbow Coalition going to?’ Let nobody come here and just say, ‘Oh, we thank you for picking APC.‘ We have not decided.
Wike reminded the stakeholders that the alliance is an inclusive, multi-party structure comprising the All Progressives Congress (APC), PDP, Labour Party (LP), and Action Alliance (AA).
He emphasized that final strategic decisions would be made collectively under the leadership of the coalition’s chairman, who is a veteran PDP member.
The Minister noted that all candidates from the participating parties are “okay for Rivers State” and have been praying for success.
All political blocks, including AA, LP, and APC, were urged to continue their grassroots preparations until the coalition formally meets at its leadership’s residence to take a unified position.
The FCT Minister launched a scathing critique against external commentators, human rights activists, and media organizations that he accused of historically exploiting the state’s political volatility for financial gain.
He lamented how media houses previously smiled to the bank by splashed sensationalized “Rivers of Blood” headlines across their front pages.
Wike stated that the Rainbow Coalition was engineered to permanently alter this negative perception.
”God said no, we must come together as a people, irrespective of our political leaning..
“What is important is that we must talk about the development of our state. We must talk about the unity of our state,” Wike maintained.
Taking a swipe at newer or less established political parties—specifically mentioning the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party or NDC structure, Wike argued that noise-making and political defections should not be mistaken for structural electoral capacity.
He stated that only the PDP, APC, and Labour Party have demonstrated true operational experience in running national and statewide elections across Nigeria.
