Says APC governors have nothing to fear as coalition seeks support beyond party lines
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed concerns that the Rainbow Coalition supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election could threaten the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that the initiative is aimed at broadening support for the president ahead of the 2027 general election.
Wike, who spoke during a media parley in Abuja on Tuesday, said the coalition was designed to bring together APC members and supporters of Tinubu from other political parties to pursue a common electoral objective.
The minister, who coordinates the coalition’s activities in Rivers State and the FCT, maintained that the arrangement was not intended to undermine the ruling party or create divisions among its governors.
According to him, Tinubu’s re-election should be the priority, while individuals and groups outside the APC should be allowed to contribute to the effort.
“If you see that word, PBT/APC, it means those who are supporting the president who are not members of the party, together with the party, are working together to achieve that purpose,” Wike said.
He cited Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, and Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, alongside himself, as examples of political figures associated with the coalition’s state-level coordination.
Wike explained that the initiative was intended to mobilise support across party lines while recognising the political realities in different states.
He stressed that the APC remained the platform through which Tinubu would seek re-election, adding that supporters from other political parties could also contribute to the president’s electoral fortunes.
“The major thing is Mr President. Whatever we are going to do, whoever has any idea or anything to contribute is to the success of Mr President. That is the whole thing,” he said.
The former Rivers State governor also dismissed suggestions that the coalition had unsettled APC governors or could trigger divisions within the ruling party.
“I don’t know what concerns there are. As far as I am concerned, there is no problem,” he said.
Using the FCT as an example, Wike recalled appealing to political stakeholders to support Tinubu and APC candidates for the National Assembly while allowing supporters of other parties to make their choices at other levels.
He argued that political circumstances differed across states, making it necessary to accommodate local interests while working towards a common national objective.
The minister maintained that political leadership required the ability to persuade people from different backgrounds and affiliations to support a shared goal.
He said the Rainbow Coalition represented an effort to expand the president’s support base beyond the traditional boundaries of party politics.
Wike also rejected suggestions that cross-party cooperation in presidential elections was entirely new in Nigeria, arguing that political figures had previously supported presidential candidates outside their parties while maintaining separate political interests at the state level.
However, he noted that the current political environment had made such cooperation more visible and formalised.
The minister reiterated that the coalition’s central objective was to secure Tinubu’s re-election, while urging Nigerians to assess the president’s performance on its merits rather than allow party affiliations to determine their judgment.
