By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA – Federal Capital Territory FCT minister, Nyesom Wike on Saturday declared that the four political parties under the “Rainbow Coalition” in Rivers State will collectively agree on a single governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections, shutting down speculation that any individual has already secured the ticket.
Wike, who spoke at a luncheon organized for coalition candidates in Port Harcourt, the state capital, said the alliance — comprising the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, All Progressives Congress APC, Labour Party LP and Action Alliance AA — has yet to settle on a flag-bearer, and that the decision will be taken jointly under the coalition’s leadership.
“The Rainbow Coalition, we have not chosen who will be the governor of Rivers State. But we have party candidates who have emerged under the Rainbow Coalition. The only decision we have taken is that we are going to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the minister declared.
Wike dismissed what he described as premature victory celebrations among some of the aspirants, warning that such claims create a false impression and undermine his own political standing, particularly given his membership of the PDP.
He urged all candidates from the four parties to sustain their grassroots mobilisation until the coalition formally convenes to take a unified position, adding that every candidate in the alliance is “okay for Rivers State.”
The minister also spoke about what he called a long-standing pattern of external exploitation of Rivers State’s political tensions, accusing certain human rights activists, commentators, and media organizations of profiting from the state’s instability. He said the Rainbow Coalition was assembled to permanently end that dynamic.
“God said no, we must come together as a people, irrespective of our political leanings. What is important is that we must talk about the development of our state. We must talk about the unity of our state,” Wike said.
He also took a swipe at fringe parties — singling out the African Democratic Congress ADC — arguing that political noise and defections are no substitute for genuine electoral structure, and that only the PDP, APC, and Labour Party have demonstrated the operational depth to prosecute statewide and national elections across Nigeria.
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