The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has reiterated his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, while clarifying that the Rainbow Coalition supporting the President is not an initiative of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Wike also stressed that he never promised that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would stop fielding candidates for governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections in 2027.
The minister made the clarification in a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka.
According to Wike, the Rainbow Coalition is a platform involving members of different political parties who support Tinubu’s re-election based on their assessment of his administration’s performance.
“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 recalled that he never met with the APC before he and other members of the G5 supported Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election, stressing that his support in 2027 was specifically for the President.
Wike argued that modern politics should be based on genuine mobilisation and winning votes at polling units rather than relying on previous political positions.
The minister cited the 2023 election results in several Southeast states to illustrate his point.
“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?
“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?
“If in 2023, the voters in Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi voted APC in the senatorial election and voted another party in the presidential election, they won’t be confused in 2027, provided we all support the President genuinely this time?”
Wike urged political stakeholders to focus first on the presidential election before turning their attention to state-level contests.
“After the President has been re-elected, we can all go and face elections in our states,” he said.
He reiterated that his political commitment was to mobilise support for Tinubu and denied making any agreement that would prevent the PDP from participating in other 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.
“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,” he said.
Source: FCT Minister’s Media Office
