Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has promised to get three million votes for President Bola Tinubu during the 2027 presidential election race, having declared allegiance to APC-PDP Rainbow Coalition candidates in the state.
He made the declaration on Saturday at the presidential campaign rally of Tinubu held at the 40,000-seat capacity Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt.
In his address to supporters of Mr Tinubu during the rally, Fubara said that victory was assured for the candidates in the alliance despite their party affiliations.
According to the governor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, will spearhead the mobilization as the coordinator of the state’s presidential campaign committee and coalition head.
“The campaign structure headed by Minister Nyesom Wike will ensure victory for our adopted candidate as the campaign committee will mobilize all people in the state,” he explained.
Fubara also restated his commitment to the coalition political arrangement in which candidates from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are united under a common platform.
He said he was determined to contribute to the success of all the candidates of the coalition in the 2027 elections.
This alliance is very unique in Rivers State because it involves people from different political parties joining hands to ensure the re-election of Tinubu as president and to campaign for a specific set of candidates for the other elective positions.
With the leadership of Mr Wike, the Rainbow Coalition is working to ensure that support is mobilized for the president and some candidates from other political parties in the governorship, National Assembly and state assembly contests.
Nevertheless, the situation has caused tension in the APC because some members feel that the politicians from their party should only campaign for candidates contesting from the same party.
Mr Wike believes that it is possible for the politicians to campaign for Mr Tinubu as the president and vote for PDP candidates as governors and legislators.
The coalition had just released its list of candidates for the 2027 election, with Kingsley Chinda, who hails from the APC, being their gubernatorial candidate while other APC and PDP candidates were contesting for legislative offices.
This agreement is coming after the conclusion of the political tussle between Messrs Fubara and Wike that started in October 2023, approximately six months since the governor took power.
The row between the two, mainly based on who should run Rivers State’s politics, divided the state House of Assembly and led to the impeachment attempt of Mr Fubara.
This situation prompted Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the state in March 2025. This declaration led to the suspension of the governor, his deputy and state legislators for six months before their resumption in September 2025.
By October 2026, Mr Fubara had made peace with Mr Wike, recognized the leadership of the FCT minister in Rainbow Coalition and supported its candidate for the elections. Additionally, he had called upon his followers to mend their factional differences, stating that he had made peace with the minister.
The gathering on Saturday was one of the political gatherings by Tinubu as he prepares for the 2027 general elections. Prior to this gathering, Mr Wike predicted the presence of more than 70,000 people.
The presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on 16 January 2027, while voters will elect governors and state lawmakers on 6 February 2027.
