A political stakeholder in Kwara State, Amb. Ibrahim Tajudeen Shola Olesin, has backed the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike-led Rainbow Coalition.
He challenged APC governors opposing the alliance to concentrate on governance and allow the electorate to judge their performance.
Olesin, in a statement on Wednesday, said Wike, as the leader of the coalition, had the right to determine who the group would work with ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said it was therefore inappropriate for APC governors to attempt to determine whether the coalition could work or whom the President should accept as political allies.
The APC Governors’ Forum had on Monday said its members would not support any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, weakening the APC or adversely affecting the party’s candidates at any level.
But Olesin said: “Wike is the leader of the coalition and he has every political right to decide who the coalition will work with and support in the election.
“I therefore make my position clear: I stand with Wike and I support the Rainbow Coalition.”
He described coalition politics as a normal feature of democratic practice, arguing that political parties without presidential candidates were equally entitled to support a presidential candidate of their choice.
“Are political parties without presidential candidates forbidden from working with a presidential candidate of their choice?” he queried.
“There is no democratic principle that says a political party must support only a candidate produced on its own platform.”
Olesin said the governors should instead use their time to account for what their administrations had achieved with the resources available to their states.
“If the governors are proud of their achievements, let them showcase what they have been able to achieve with the allocations they have received so far,” he said.
According to him, the debate should be about the impact of government resources on the lives of citizens, particularly against the backdrop of increased allocations to subnational governments.
“President Tinubu has repeatedly spoken about the substantial increase in resources going to the states. The question is: what are the people getting in return?
“How much has poverty been reduced? What has been done in human capital development, education, healthcare, job creation, infrastructure, agriculture and social protection?
“Governors should show Nigerians how increased resources have translated into better lives for ordinary citizens.”
He said governors who were confident in their records should present them to the electorate instead of attempting to discredit the emerging coalition.
“If they have performed, let them take their records to the people. Let the people judge,” he said.
Olesin also questioned the rationale behind the reported concerns of APC governors that the coalition could undermine the President’s re-election prospects.
“If there is any political camp that should be worried about a coalition supporting President Tinubu, it should logically be those seeking to defeat him,” he said.
“Wike has chosen to support President Tinubu. The coalition has chosen to support President Tinubu. That support should be welcomed as part of the democratic process.”
He said President Tinubu was sufficiently experienced to assess political alliances and determine the value of any support offered to his re-election bid.
“No governor should assume the responsibility of determining which political relationships the President should accept,” Olesin said.
He urged the governors to focus on governance, accountability and rebuilding confidence among their party members.
“They should face governance, engage their people, strengthen their party structures and persuade voters with their records rather than attempting to dictate the limits of political alliances,” he said.
Olesin said the Rainbow Coalition was a genuine political development that should be allowed to operate within the democratic space.
“The Rainbow Coalition is genuine. Wike has the right to lead it. The coalition has the right to choose who it supports. And Nigerians have the ultimate right to decide who they vote for,” he said.