By Daniel Tyokua
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reelection in 2027 remains unwavering, stressing that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is free to field candidates in other elections.
Wike also clarified that the “Rainbow Coalition” has no affiliation with the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as a platform for politicians across parties who support Tinubu’s performance and reelection bid.
The minister spoke in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka.
Wike said he never promised that the PDP would not contest governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections in 2027.
He said his commitment was to mobilise support for Tinubu’s reelection, insisting that political contests at the state level should be treated separately.
“Politics is local and those having problems in their states should resolve them instead of using the reelection of the President to whip up sentiments,” he said.
Wike recalled that neither he nor members of the G5 met with the APC before supporting Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, stressing that his position for 2027 remained focused on the President.
According to him, the Rainbow Coalition is not an APC project but a cross-party mobilisation platform for Tinubu’s reelection.
He cited the 2023 elections in Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi, where voters supported different parties at the presidential and National Assembly levels, as evidence that voters could distinguish between elections.
“If in 2023, the voters in Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi voted APC in the Senatorial election and voted another party in the presidential election, they won’t be confused in 2027 provided we all support the President genuinely this time,” Wike said.
He urged stakeholders to prioritise Tinubu’s reelection before turning their attention to state-level contests.
“After the President must have been reelected, we can all go and face elections in our states,” he said.
Wike added: “What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the reelection of the President. I never promised anyone that PDP will not field candidates to contest governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.”
He maintained that the Rainbow Coalition was its own way of mobilising support across political parties for Tinubu, whom he said had performed well enough to deserve a second term.
