The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has clarified that his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 is specifically targeted at the presidential contest and does not amount to an endorsement of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in other elections.
Wike, in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said the so-called Rainbow Coalition was not affiliated with the APC but was designed to mobilise support for Tinubu across political divides.
The clarification came amid political controversy over the coalition and its implications for the 2027 elections, particularly following the position of APC governors that they would not support political arrangements capable of weakening the party or its candidates.
Wike said his commitment remained to securing support for Tinubu’s second-term bid, insisting that he had never promised that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would refrain from fielding candidates for governorship, National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly elections.
“What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the re-election of the President. I never promised anyone that PDP will not field candidates to contest governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections,” he said.
According to the minister, the Rainbow Coalition should not be interpreted as an arrangement to deliver electoral victories for politicians in their respective states.
“Politics is local, and those having problems in their states should resolve them instead of using the re-election of the President to whip up sentiments,” Wike said.
He maintained that his support for Tinubu was not predicated on any political agreement with the APC, recalling that he and other members of the G5 governors backed Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election without first entering into an arrangement with the ruling party.
“I never met with the APC before I and other members of the G5 supported Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election,” he said, stressing that his position for 2027 remained “solely for the President”.
Wike also sought to illustrate his argument with the outcome of the 2023 elections in several South-East states, where voters backed candidates from different political parties at presidential and legislative levels.
He questioned how APC candidates secured two senatorial seats in Imo State in 2023 despite the party recording less than 15 per cent of the presidential vote in the state.
“In Imo State, under Governor Hope Uzodimma, how did APC win two Senate seats in 2023, in an election held the same day as that of the President, when APC had less than 15 per cent in the presidential election? Was it a rainbow coalition? Were the voters confused?” he asked.
The FCT minister similarly cited Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi states, arguing that the 2023 results demonstrated that voters could support different parties in presidential and legislative contests.
“Was it a rainbow coalition that also made APC win National Assembly elections in Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu states, where the President did not have 10 per cent of the votes?” he asked.
Wike therefore urged political stakeholders to distinguish between the presidential election and contests for other elective offices, saying the immediate priority of the coalition was Tinubu’s re-election.
“After the President has been re-elected, we can all go and face elections in our states,” he said.
He further insisted that the Rainbow Coalition was a multi-party support platform rather than an APC campaign structure.
“Most importantly, the rainbow coalition has nothing to do with the APC. Rather, it is our own way of mobilising support across political parties for Mr President, who has done well to deserve a second term,” Wike said.
The minister also argued that contemporary politics should be centred on grassroots mobilisation and electoral strength rather than assumptions about political entitlement, stressing that politicians seeking victory in their respective states should build their own support structures.
His remarks come as political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections continue to intensify, with competing camps seeking to consolidate support for Tinubu while simultaneously positioning themselves for governorship and legislative contests across the country.
