Rainbow Coalition: I Won’t Help You Win Your States, Wike Replies APC Governors

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has told APC governors not to expect his support in their respective state elections in 2027.

Wike said his political support for the 2027 election is focused on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election. He stressed that this does not mean the Peoples Democratic Party will withdraw from other contests.

The minister made the clarification in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka.

Wike said he never promised that the PDP would not field candidates for governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly elections.

According to him, the Rainbow Coalition was created to mobilise support for Tinubu across political parties. He said the platform has no connection with the APC.

“Most importantly, rainbow coalition has nothing to do with the APC,” Wike said. He described it as a platform for parties supporting Tinubu because of what he called the President’s good works.

Wike also rejected suggestions that he entered an agreement with the APC before supporting Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.

He recalled that he and other members of the G5 governors supported Tinubu in 2023 without first reaching an agreement with the APC.

For 2027, Wike said his position remains clear. He will mobilise support for Tinubu but will not campaign for APC governors in their state elections.

“I will mobilise support for the reelection 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 said.

He urged APC governors facing political challenges in their states to address them without linking their problems to Tinubu’s presidential campaign.

Wike said politics remains local and politicians must build their own support structures to win elections at the state level.

“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,” he said.

The FCT minister also questioned the voting pattern recorded in parts of the South-East during the 2023 elections.

He specifically referred to Imo State, where he said the APC won two Senate seats despite Tinubu receiving less than 15 per cent of the presidential votes in the state.

Wike asked whether such results reflected the activities of the Rainbow Coalition or simply showed that voters made different choices during the elections.

He cited similar outcomes in Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu, where APC candidates won National Assembly seats while Tinubu recorded less than 10 per cent of the presidential votes in some of the contests.

The minister argued that such voting patterns could happen again in 2027.

He said voters could support Tinubu for president while choosing candidates from other parties for governorship and legislative positions.

Wike therefore urged political stakeholders to concentrate first on securing Tinubu’s return to the presidency before turning their attention to state contests.

He maintained that the Rainbow Coalition was about mobilising genuine support for the President across political parties.

He added that the focus should be on building support from polling units rather than assuming that presidential backing would automatically translate into victories for other candidates.