Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said opposition to his Rainbow Coalition project from Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq stems from reasons other than fears that the coalition could destabilise the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Wike, a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, said he would reveal what he described as the “real” reasons behind the criticism during a television appearance on Monday. He made the remarks while responding to journalists during an inspection of ongoing road projects in the Federal Capital Territory.
His comments come amid speculation that the Rainbow Coalition, a political platform bringing together opposition figures who back President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, could be part of an effort to position Wike for a 2031 presidential run. Wike dismissed the suggestion as premature, though he acknowledged that the question of who succeeds Tinubu could eventually become a point of contention within the APC.
“People take the position of God… How can you sit now and start planning about 2030, 31? So, God is the one who says what will be… But that is not correct. But you will hear the full details today about all these cries about the Rainbow Coalition,” he said, adding that as a sitting president, Tinubu himself would naturally have an interest in who succeeds him by 2031.
Wike also pointed to his run in the 2022 PDP presidential primary, where he finished second, as evidence of his standing in national politics. “I know this country very well. I am a politician of this country… So, am I positioning myself? In which of the parties am I positioning myself?” he asked, maintaining that his immediate focus is backing Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 rather than pursuing his own presidential ambition.
Read Also: ok-movement-defies-ndc-leadership-over-disputed-presidential-campaign-council
He said he would offer a fuller explanation of the coalition controversy during a scheduled appearance on TVC between 5 pm and 7 pm on Monday. “My concern is how the President will be re-elected for a second term. That is my concern,” he said, describing claims that the coalition was designed to destabilise the APC as disappointing.
“It is very disappointing to hear some people say the Rainbow Coalition will destabilise their party… You will hear the full details today of why all this cry about Rainbow Coalition. I will tell you, and Nigerians will be shocked,” he said, adding that he did not want to “let the cat out of the bag” ahead of his television appearance.
Wike rejected suggestions that the coalition was working to undermine any candidates or parties, saying it had not asked anyone to withdraw support from a candidate. He said the group’s aim was simply to encourage its members and like-minded Nigerians outside the APC to support Tinubu.
He drew a comparison to the G5 governors, the bloc of five PDP governors who opposed the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, noting that no one accused that group of destabilising the PDP at the time. “Did the President not win? Did it affect the APC controlling the National Assembly? It is something that will even give him an advantage. But that is not the real cause of this cry you hear today,” he said, promising to expose what he called the “undertones” behind the criticism.
Earlier, Wike inspected several ongoing road projects in the FCT, including the ISEX 2 and Southern Parkway roads and the Nile University to Ring Road 3 project, saying progress on the projects had been satisfactory and that contractors had committed to completing them by January 10, 2027.
