FILE: FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has defended the Rainbow Coalition backing President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, dismissing concerns that the initiative could create divisions within the All Progressives Congress.
Wike said the coalition was designed to strengthen Tinubu’s electoral chances by bringing together APC members and supporters of the President from other political parties.
The former Rivers State governor spoke during a media parley in Abuja on Tuesday, explaining that the initiative was aimed at mobilising broader support for Tinubu rather than undermining 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 cited Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke as examples of political figures associated with the coalition’s state-level coordination, alongside himself.
Wike 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.
The minister 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.
Using the FCT as an example, Wike recalled appealing to political stakeholders to support Tinubu and APC candidates for the National Assembly while allowing supporters of other parties to back candidates of their choice at other levels.
He said political circumstances differed from one state to another, making it necessary to accommodate local interests while pursuing a common national objective.
According to him, political leadership requires persuading supporters from different backgrounds to embrace a shared goal.
Wike also rejected suggestions that the arrangement was entirely new in Nigerian politics, arguing that political figures had previously supported presidential candidates outside their parties while maintaining separate interests at the state level.
He said the current political environment had, however, made such cooperation more visible and formalised.
The minister maintained that the coalition’s primary objective was to secure Tinubu’s re-election and sustain what he described as the President’s achievements.
He urged Nigerians to assess Tinubu’s performance on its merits rather than allow partisan considerations to determine their judgment.