A political communications strategist, Ben Ukeji, has slammed the Progressive Governors Forum over its stance on the Rainbow Coalition formed by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
While Wike has maintained his support for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, he has made it clear that he is not a member of the ruling party.
According to the list of senatorial candidates recently released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Wike’s faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, under which the Rainbow Coalition operates, has over 100 senatorial candidates across the country.
The development has since caused confusion within the APC, prompting the Progressive Governors Forum to publicly distance itself from Wike’s Rainbow Coalition.
Speaking on Arise News on Wednesday, Ukeji said Wike had not done anything wrong by coming up with such an idea, which he believes would help Tinubu return to power in 2027.
“Wike has clearly made his position known, and politics is about self-interest to a large extent. Wike is not a member of the APC, and I don’t see anything wrong with him working for the president and advancing the interests of his political party, the PDP,” he said.
“Don’t forget, he formed what is known as the G5, and largely, that G5 worked for the emergence of President Tinubu. Look at all the five states where the G5 operated; Atiku lost elections there, and that created an advantage for the current president to win the election.
“So, this time around, don’t forget that Wike is not a member of the APC. He is a member of a political party, which is the PDP, and he has to advance the interests of his political party. The president appointed him minister based on his political considerations. So, he is supporting the president, but not other guys.
“So, what the Progressive Governors should have done, if you ask me, is also go back to the drawing board and look at where they are and what they are not doing right. In many states, some of the governors are not living up to their responsibilities.
“They should stop working against a PDP man who is working to make sure his candidates come out victorious at the election. So, there’s nothing wrong. Wike, if you ask me, is a political strategist, and yes, his ideas may not be ideological, because in ideology, you have communism or capitalism. But he’s a principled politician.
“If you ask me, he believes in what he believes in and his convictions. He stands by them, and he’s courageous enough to drive his convictions.
“So, these governors should, after all, they say the political structures of the states have been given to them. They should go back and work hard.
“Wike said they’re lazy politicians. So, why are they jittery? He won’t do their job. Why are they jittery over the Rainbow Coalition?” he asked.
Rainbow Coalition: Wike won’t do your job – Ukeji slams APC govs