By Adegbaju Temitope

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has reiterated the commitment of his “Rainbow Coalition” to mobilise support across political parties for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Wike stated this in Abuja on Tuesday in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, against the backdrop of the position taken by APC governors on the emergence of parallel political structures ahead of the 2027 elections.

The Minister said the coalition, which he described as a multi-party platform, was established to galvanise support for Tinubu and had no connection with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

His clarification followed a declaration by Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Hope Uzodimma, that APC governors would not support any political arrangement capable of weakening the ruling party or adversely affecting its candidates.

Wike said the coalition was “a platform for other political parties that are pleased with the good works of Tinubu and are supporting his re-election”.

“It has nothing to do with 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.

The FCT Minister also dismissed suggestions that the Rainbow Coalition was established to help individuals secure victory in governorship or other state-level elections.

According to him, political disputes at the state level should be resolved within the respective states rather than being linked to Tinubu’s re-election bid.

“Politics is local and those having problems in their states should resolve them instead of using Tinubu’s re-election bid to whip up sentiments,” he said.

Wike recalled that he did not meet with APC governors before he and other members of the G5 governors supported Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.

He therefore stressed that his current political mobilisation was specifically directed at securing Tinubu’s re-election and did not amount to a commitment to support APC candidates in other contests.

“What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the re-election of Tinubu,” he said.

“I never promised anyone that PDP will not field candidates to contest governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.”

Wike argued that voters were capable of making different choices in presidential and legislative elections, citing the 2023 elections as an example.

He noted that voters in Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi could vote for an APC presidential candidate while supporting candidates of another political party in senatorial elections.

“If in 2023, 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,” he said.

The former Rivers State governor urged supporters of Tinubu to concentrate first on the presidential election, arguing that other political contests could be addressed after the presidential poll.

“Politics is about genuinely mobilising support and winning elections from the polling units,” he said.

“After the president is re-elected, we can all go and face elections in our various states.”