Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has said the opposition to his proposed Rainbow Coalition by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is not about concerns that the group could destabilise the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Wike spoke on Monday during an inspection of ongoing road projects in Abuja, saying he would provide further details about the disagreement during a television appearance later in the day.
The minister was asked whether the coalition was part of an attempt to position himself for the 2031 presidential election. Wike dismissed the suggestion that he was already planning for 2031, saying political ambitions must first be considered in the context of what happens between now and then.
“People take the position of God. First of all, you have to pray that you are alive. You must ask God, ‘Keep me alive till tomorrow. God, keep me alive till the next day.’ When God keeps you alive, then you now know what to do. How can you sit now and start planning about 2030, 31?” he said.
Wike, however, acknowledged that the issue of succession would eventually arise within the APC, noting that Tinubu would not be eligible to contest for another presidential term after 2031.
“I have always said, mind you, too, that by 2031, as a sitting president, he will not be running. So, the president must also have interest on who will succeed him,” Wike said.
He added that he did not see his political activities as being inconsistent with the President’s interests.
“And will I be at loggerheads with what the president is talking about? But people don’t understand. They are just afraid of their shadows, not me,” he stated.
Wike also referred to his participation in the 2022 PDP presidential primary, where he finished second, arguing that his political history and experience made him a significant participant in national political discussions.
“First of all, you should know that I ran presidential primary in 2022, and I came second. If not for what happened, I would have emerged. So, I know this country very well. I am a politician of this country,” he said.
The minister questioned how he could be described as positioning himself for a future presidential contest when his current political activities cut across party lines.
“So, am I positioning myself? In which of the parties am I positioning myself?” he asked.
Wike maintained that his immediate concern was the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027. He said he had made his position clear from the beginning and intended to support the President.
“My concern is how the President will be re-elected for a second term. That is my concern. And I have made that known from the outset that I was going to support Mr President with all my might and strength,” he said.
The dispute has intensified after APC governors rejected political arrangements that they said could weaken the party or affect its candidates. The APC Governors Forum, chaired by Uzodinma, has said its members will support APC candidates at all levels.
Wike, however, rejected the suggestion that his coalition was designed to undermine the APC.
“I am not bothered about accusations, but you see, it is very disappointing to hear some people say the Rainbow Coalition will destabilise their party. I don’t understand from which angle that will be,” he said.
He added that he would explain what he described as the underlying issues behind the controversy.
“This is an opportunity for Nigerians to tune in, and we will let Nigerians know what is really behind all these so-called cries about Rainbow Coalition,” Wike said.
The minister also insisted that the coalition had not instructed anyone to withdraw support from any candidate.
“It is not correct. I mean, we have not gone to anybody to say, ‘Don’t support anybody.’ We said all our party members, all those like-minds who are not APC members, to please ensure that they support Mr. President,” he said.
Wike compared the arrangement with the G5 governors’ position during the 2023 presidential election, arguing that political actors could support a presidential candidate while retaining separate positions in other elections.
“This is not the first time, first of all, in 2023 when it was G5, right? Why is it that nobody complained that it would destabilise the party?” he asked.
He further argued that the G5’s activities did not prevent the APC from winning the presidency or securing control of 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,” Wike said.
According to him, there are “undertones” to the controversy surrounding the Rainbow Coalition that he intends to explain publicly.
“Nigerians don’t understand that there are undertones to it, and we will let the cat out of the bag so Nigerians will be well-informed about the so-called cry about Rainbow Coalition,” he said.
Wike has previously described the Rainbow Coalition as a cross-party platform aimed at mobilising support for Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid, while maintaining that it has no formal connection with the APC.
On the road projects inspected in Abuja, Wike expressed satisfaction with the progress of work and said contractors had committed to completing some of the projects by January 10, 2027. The projects include the ISEX 2 and Southern Parkway roads as well as the Nile University-to-Ring Road 3 project.
