The minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has reaffirmed that his commitment to backing President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027 remains unshakeable.
However, the minister clarified that his pledge does not prevent the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from fielding candidates for governorship, National Assembly, or State House of Assembly seats in the next general election cycle.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike addressed misconceptions regarding the cross-party initiative backing the President. He explained that the “rainbow coalition” operates independently of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), serving purely as a multi-party vehicle for voters who recognise the President’s performance to support his return to office.
Wike recalled that neither he nor his allies in the G5 group held prior meetings with the APC before endorsing Tinubu in 2023. He dismissed assertions that supporting the President restricts opposition parties from competing locally, declaring that “politics is local” and advising politicians facing internal challenges in their home states to address them directly rather than manipulating the presidential contest to generate political sympathy.
Wike stressed that contemporary politics requires building authentic grassroots support rather than relying on political shortcuts to gain power. To demonstrate that voters can distinguish between ballot choices, he cited the 2023 election results across the South-East, noting how the APC secured senatorial seats in Imo, Ebonyi, Abia, and Enugu despite the President receiving under 15 per cent of the presidential votes in those areas.
The minister maintained that his focus is strictly on mobilizing nationwide support for the President’s second-term bid. “What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the re-election 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 said.
Wike urged political actors to prioritize the top of the ballot before focusing on regional contests. “After the President has been re-elected, we can all go and face elections in our states,” he advised.
The minister concluded: “Most importantly, the rainbow coalition has nothing to do with the APC. Rather, it is our own way of mobilising support across political parties for Mr President, who has done well to deserve a second term.”