By Davies Iheamnachor
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and leader of the Rainbow Coalition, Nyesom Wike, has said that all he wants to hear in Rivers State is Bola Tinubu for a second term.
Wike also declared that supporting President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid is the strategic key to unlocking unprecedented political appointments, infrastructure development, and lasting national relevance for the oil-rich state.
This came as the Minister had a strategic meeting with strong followers of the governor of the state, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and Fubara-aligned Youth Leaders in Port Harcourt on Monday.
This came less than 24 hours after he (Wike) led members of the State Assembly, Local Government Area Chairmen and Top leaders of the coalition to a closed-door meeting of top supporters of the governor at the private residence of Fubara in Port Harcourt.
Addressing the meeting on Monday, Wike stressed that aligning with the federal government would secure the state’s position as a powerhouse in national politics.
The Minister urged party faithful, youth groups, and stakeholders to put past grievances behind them, forgive past missteps, and rally solidly behind President Tinubu.
Wike said: “All I want to hear in this state is Tinubu and nothing but Tinubu. If we play the role we are playing now, and we are one of the first three states that get the highest number of votes, we will get more of the appointments.”
Wike noted that the current administration has broken records in terms of high-profile federal appointments awarded to indigenes of the state.
He opined that a massive voter turnout for the President would guarantee even greater stakes and bumper opportunities for the state’s populace, particularly the youths.
Wike, while reflecting on his political journey and stewardship, noted that his primary motivation is ensuring that the state remains a central fixture in national decision-making, where no president can afford to sideline the state’s leadership.
He noted that local political structures across different platforms are collapsing into a unified front to back the President, adding that political transitions and alliances naturally come with friction, rumours, and minor disagreements
Wike, however, called for calm and reconciliation at the grassroots level, assuring those who may have felt sidelined that structured reconciliation committees are working to ensure no genuine member of the family is left behind.
He added: “We are talking for survival and growth. I am not going to be governor again; this is for your own interest. I want this state to grow. I want this state to play an important role in the politics of Nigeria.”
Earlier, Mr Ezebunwo Ichemati, former Mayor of Port Harcourt, who spoke on behalf of the governor’s supporters, declared the readiness of the group to work closely with Wike to deliver Rivers to Tinubu and other candidates under the Rainbow Coalition.
Ichemati said that the meeting marked a major turning point in the Rivers political landscape, signalling a consolidated front between the Wike and Fubara camps as strategic preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.
The former Mayor declared that the group is fully committed to joining forces with the political coalition to deliver Tinubu, including Mr Kinsley Chinda, in the 2027 election.
Ichemati said: “Every family has its own peculiarity in problems. What matters most is that the family comes together, the children watch what has divided them, and decide to move forward.
“If today a marriage faces a problem, some children will go to their father, some will go to their mother. But when a truce is made, the family comes back together—and that is what has happened today.”
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