2027 Presidency: Wike Dares APC Governors, Says Rainbow Coalition Is Here To Stay

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed calls by some All Progressives Congress governors to disband his Rainbow Coalition, insisting that the political movement will remain active ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Wike spoke on Tuesday in Abuja during an interactive session with journalists, where he addressed the controversy surrounding his continued membership of the Peoples Democratic Party while openly supporting President Bola Tinubu.

The minister said his position is clear and he owes nobody an apology. He noted that he had long before now pledged to support Tinubu’s second term ambition and will keep to that promise.

He said he has never approached any governor to beg for favour and challenged anyone with an issue against him to confront him directly instead of hiding under party politics.

The former Rivers governor explained that he supported several APC leaders in the past and still maintains cordial relationships across party lines. He cited his support for Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State as an example that he plays politics beyond party boundaries.

According to Wike, the Rainbow Coalition is a broad political arrangement designed to galvanise support for President Tinubu across different parties and it has already gained ground.

The development comes after some APC governors questioned Wike’s political identity, urging him to leave the PDP and officially join the APC if he is truly supporting the president.

Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal was among those who faulted Wike’s dual political posture. Speaking on Channels Television programme Inside Sources, Lawal said the FCT minister should choose one side.

Lawal maintained that the APC expects total loyalty from its supporters and cannot accept a situation where someone claims to be in opposition while campaigning for the ruling party.

Despite the criticism, Wike insisted that his support is for Tinubu as a person and not necessarily for the APC structure. He said the Rainbow Coalition is focused on delivering victory for the president in 2027 regardless of party affiliation.

The Rainbow Coalition has continued to attract political actors from both the PDP and APC, a development that has raised concerns within the ruling party ahead of next year’s polls.