Plots by state governors to ambush President Bola Tinubu's re-election and call the shots in the immediate post-2027 general election informed the President's decision to accept the proposed electoral collaboration with the nationwide Rainbow Coalition. This move is aimed at strengthening Tinubu's chances of winning the 2027 presidential election. The coalition, led by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, is a strategic partnership and not a threat to the President.
A member of the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin, defended the political activities of Wike, saying the Rainbow Coalition is aimed at strengthening the President's chances of winning the 2027 presidential election. Jibrin argued that the coalition should not be viewed as a threat to the APC or the President, but rather as a means to expand Tinubu's support base beyond the ruling party.
The opposition Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has turned Wike's resignation vow into a political challenge, telling the minister to prepare his resignation letter rather than attempt to dictate how Abuja residents will vote. Wike had stated that he would resign as FCT minister on January 17, 2027, if Tinubu lost either of the two territories he claims as his strongholds, Rivers State and the FCT.
Wike has described the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket of Atiku Abubakar and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as a joint ticket of corruption. He boasted that Tinubu's re-election will be easier than his election in 2023. Wike made these comments during town halls with the Rumueme and Apara kingdoms in Obio-Akpor Local Council of Rivers State.
Suspense arose within the All Progressives Congress (APC) following disagreements over the modalities for the political collaboration between the leadership of the Progressives Governors' Forum (PGF) and Wike. The PGF rejected the coalition, stressing that by creating a parallel political structure, Wike and his group wanted to create confusion in APC to prepare the grounds for the revival of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
A former governor in the North-Central confided that the Rainbow Coalition was a child of circumstance, pointing out that the movement became inevitable when some APC governors started planning to hold Tinubu to ransom. The former governor disclosed that not less than four former governors are part of this movement, including the former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, and Senator Danjuma Goje.
The NDC Publicity Secretary in FCT, Samuel Iloh, said Wike's promise to quit office if Tinubu fails to win the FCT and Rivers State exposed the minister's confidence to a simple test: the ballot box. Iloh argued that Wike was overestimating his political influence, particularly in the nation's capital, and alleged that Wike's confidence was linked to an "election rigging mechanism".
Key points
- President Bola Tinubu's re-election bid gets boost with Wike's Rainbow Coalition
- The coalition is a strategic partnership and not a threat to the President
- Wike's political influence makes him an asset that should be managed through dialogue
