…Rallies support for Tinubu, Rainbow Coalition candidates
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, remains the leader of members of his Simplified Movement who have joined the Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Fubara made the declaration on Tuesday during the official unveiling of the coalition’s candidates at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt, urging his supporters to recognise Wike’s leadership and work towards the success of the alliance.
“I’m not your leader. Wike is your leader,” the governor declared.
The statement came amid renewed efforts to consolidate reconciliation between the two political camps following months of political tension in Rivers State.
The event attracted political leaders and candidates from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), Action Alliance (AA), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Boot Party and other political groups operating under the Rainbow Coalition.
The coalition, led by Wike, is seeking to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid and candidates endorsed by the alliance ahead of the 2027 elections.
Fubara, who had earlier acknowledged Wike’s role in his political journey and declared that the political leaders were back together, urged members of his former support base to embrace the coalition’s leadership structure.
He also called on political stakeholders to support the coalition’s candidates, including its preferred governorship candidate, Kingsley Chinda, popularly known as OK Chinda.
The governor stressed that political differences should no longer stand in the way of collective efforts to advance Rivers State, urging leaders and supporters to prioritise unity and development.
Fubara’s declaration further highlighted Wike’s leadership role in the coalition, as the governor publicly directed members of his political movement to recognise the FCT minister as their leader.
The unveiling featured the presentation of preferred candidates across party lines, with the coalition seeking to consolidate political alliances and establish a common front ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The alliance is also positioning itself as a platform for political reconciliation, peaceful elections and cooperation among political groups that were previously divided in Rivers State.
The renewed alignment between Fubara and Wike’s political structure comes as stakeholders intensify efforts to mobilise support for Tinubu and the coalition’s candidates ahead of the forthcoming elections.
