Wike Backs Rainbow Coalition, Says It Strengthens Tinubu's Re-election Bid

Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has thrown his weight behind the Rainbow Coalition backing President Bola Tinubu's re-election bid, pushing back against suggestions that the alliance poses a threat to the All Progressives Congress. Wike made the statement during a media gathering in Abuja on Tuesday, where he outlined the coalition's purpose and structure to journalists.

The coalition, which Wike coordinates in Rivers State and the FCT, unites APC members alongside supporters of the President from outside the ruling party under a shared platform. According to Wike, this cross-party arrangement is not designed to fracture the APC or create problems for governors in the party.

Instead, he framed it as an effort to expand the President's electoral support beyond party boundaries. Wike argued that Tinubu's second-term ambitions should not be confined only to APC members, but should draw from a wider pool of supporters across political lines.

The minister characterised concerns from APC governors about potential internal divisions as unfounded. He stressed that bringing together party members and non-members under the coalition represents a strengthening mechanism rather than a weakening one.

Wike's comments directly addressed anxieties within the ruling party about whether the Rainbow Coalition could splinter APC unity or undermine gubernatorial figures ahead of upcoming electoral contests. The Rainbow Coalition represents an attempt to mobilise what organisers view as untapped electoral potential by formally incorporating Tinubu supporters from opposition political parties or independent backgrounds.

By positioning the arrangement as complementary to rather than competitive with APC structures, Wike sought to neutralise resistance from party officials who might otherwise view it as a rival power base or threat to their own political standing.