FCT Minister Nyesom Wike on Tuesday rallied political leaders and candidates from different parties in Rivers State behind President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, declaring that the Rainbow Coalition was committed to mobilising support for the president in the 2027 general elections.
Wike, who leads the coalition, spoke during the official unveiling of its candidates in Port Harcourt, where he called on members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) across the country to support Tinubu, regardless of their party affiliations.
The event was attended by Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, former governor and Senator Magnus Abe, political leaders and candidates from six political parties under the coalition.
Wike said the alliance was formed to unite political interests in Rivers State, stressing that party differences should not prevent leaders from working together for the state’s development and Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
He urged PDP members in Rivers, Kwara, Benue, Ondo, Ogun and other states to support the president.
“Every PDP member in Rivers State will support Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Every PDP member in Kwara State, you will support Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Every PDP member in Benue State, you will support Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
The minister extended the appeal to PDP members nationwide, arguing that political cooperation was necessary among leaders who shared the same position on the presidency.
Wike also criticised opposition figures, particularly former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, questioning his political consistency and his capacity to lead a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He challenged the prospect of Atiku emerging as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), asking whether voters in Rivers State would support him.
The FCT minister accused Atiku of changing positions on political agreements, arguing that such inconsistency should concern voters.
He also criticised former Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi, revisiting promises made during his administration between 2007 and 2015.
Wike cited past commitments on malaria prevention and other development issues, questioning whether they had been fulfilled.
He further raised allegations about the handling of funds during Amaechi’s tenure, referring to a judicial panel of inquiry and subsequent court proceedings. The allegations were not independently established at the event.
Wike maintained that the Rainbow Coalition provided a platform for politicians from different parties to support Tinubu and candidates endorsed by the alliance in Rivers State.
He urged political stakeholders to avoid actions that could reignite tension in the state, insisting that the coalition was committed to peace and reconciliation.
The minister thanked Fubara for attending the event and unveiling the candidates, describing the governor as a member of the coalition’s political family.
He said the alliance would reject winner-takes-all politics in favour of cooperation among political parties, adding that there would be no room for those seeking to create further crises in the state.
Speaking before unveiling the candidates, Fubara described the gathering as an opportunity to reunite political allies and work towards the development of Rivers State.
The governor acknowledged Wike’s role in his political journey, expressing gratitude to the former governor and other leaders for their contributions to his emergence as governor.
“I’m really happy to be here. Not just being here, standing in the midst of my family. This is my family because I wouldn’t have been the governor of Rivers State if, by the grace of Almighty, I had not passed through my oga and other leaders to make it possible in our dear state,” he said.
Fubara said that despite past disagreements, the political leaders had a shared responsibility to work for the state’s progress.
“So no matter what has happened, I’m very grateful today that, one way or the other, we are back together for a better cause and for the good of our dear state,” he added.
He pledged to work for Tinubu’s re-election and ensure that political power remained within the bloc represented by the coalition.
The governor described the opportunity to unveil the candidates as a privilege and expressed confidence in their chances in the forthcoming elections.
His remarks reinforced the coalition’s message of reconciliation following a prolonged political rift between key figures in Rivers State.
Also speaking, Senator Magnus Abe urged Amaechi to reconsider his reported decision to serve as Atiku’s running mate, arguing that the arrangement contradicted the principle of power rotation between northern and southern Nigeria.
Abe said the Rainbow Coalition was firmly behind Tinubu, whom he described as the candidate representing the South in the presidential contest.
He recalled that Amaechi had previously argued that Nigeria’s political stability depended on respecting an understanding that presidential power should rotate between the North and South.
Abe questioned the consistency of Amaechi’s position, arguing that it was contradictory to oppose a southern presidency in the past while now supporting a northern candidate when, according to him, it was the South’s turn.
“On behalf of all of us here gathered in Rivers State, we want to call on Amaechi to immediately respect his own position and resign as the vice-presidential candidate to Atiku Abubakar, because it is the turn of the South, and Rivers State will stand by the agreement between the North and the South,” Abe said.
He urged Atiku to respect the principle of rotation and declared his full support for the Rainbow Coalition’s campaign for Tinubu.
Speaking on behalf of candidates from six political parties, APC governorship candidate Kingsley Chinda said the coalition aimed to move Rivers State away from divisive party politics towards collective leadership.
Chinda said the alliance was united by its support for Tinubu’s re-election and its commitment to peace and development in Rivers State.
He pledged that candidates elected under the coalition’s arrangement would promote inclusive governance and consider the interests of different political parties, genders and religious groups.
“We are going to run a government for the people, that will place the interests of Rivers people first,” he said.
Chinda added that the cooperation among the parties should continue beyond the elections, with participating parties playing a role in governance.
He commended the state’s political leaders for their efforts to restore peace and expressed hope that the alliance would prevent election-related crises.
The candidate said the coalition would work towards peaceful elections, a smooth transition and an administration focused on development.