The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed concerns that the emerging Rainbow Coalition supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election could create divisions within the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that the initiative is designed to broaden support for the president beyond party lines.
Wike spoke during a media parley in Abuja on Tuesday, where he explained that the coalition accommodates APC members and Tinubu’s supporters from other political parties.
The minister, who coordinates the coalition’s activities in Rivers State and the FCT, said the arrangement was intended to strengthen the president’s re-election bid rather than undermine the ruling party.
“If you see that word, PBT/APC, it means those who are supporting the president who are not members of the party, together with the party, are working together to achieve that purpose,” Wike said.
He maintained that the APC remained the platform through which Tinubu would seek re-election, while supporters from other parties could contribute to the same objective.
“The major thing is Mr President. Whatever we are going to do, whoever has any idea or anything to contribute is to the success of Mr President. That is the whole thing,” he said.
Wike also dismissed suggestions that the coalition had unsettled APC governors or could trigger defections from the ruling party.
“I don’t know what concerns there are. As far as I am concerned, there is no problem,” he said.
He explained that political circumstances differed from one state to another, making it necessary to accommodate local interests while pursuing the common goal of securing Tinubu’s re-election.
Wike argued that political leadership required persuading supporters from different backgrounds to work towards a shared objective, adding that the coalition reflected an effort to expand support for the president beyond traditional party boundaries.
He also rejected suggestions that the arrangement was entirely new to Nigerian politics, noting that political figures had previously supported presidential candidates outside their parties while maintaining separate political interests at the state level.
However, he said the current political environment had made such cooperation more visible and formalised.
The minister said the coalition’s objective was to secure Tinubu’s re-election and sustain what he described as the president’s achievements.
He urged Nigerians to assess the president’s performance on its merits rather than allow partisan considerations to determine their judgment.
APC governors have nothing to fear over Rainbow Coalition – Wike