Tinubu Understands My Rainbow Coalition – Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu understands the purpose of his Rainbow Coalition, alleging that sustained attacks against the political arrangement are being driven by Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma.

Wike, who is also a national leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), linked Uzodinma’s opposition to the coalition to what he described as the governor’s ambition to become Senate President after the expiration of his tenure as governor.

He made the remarks during a live interview on TVC on Monday night while responding to criticism of the Rainbow Coalition and its activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Wike dismissed suggestions that the coalition posed a threat to Tinubu’s re-election bid, arguing that its position was simply to encourage Nigerians across political parties to support the President while allowing individuals to pursue their political ambitions at the state and National Assembly levels.

He said the criticism was being used to create a crisis within the political system.

“In a country like this, somebody whose tenure will be expiring in 10-11 months time, now because of wanting to change or cause crisis within the system, wants to run for election to the Senate Presidency, and without telling people the truth, he is now saying the Rainbow Coalition is a problem.

“How will the Rainbow Coalition be a problem? Mr President, everyone in all the states, support the President. You want to run for Senate, House of Reps, Governorship? It is your internal affair,” Wike said.

The FCT minister said members of the coalition were not required to abandon their individual political ambitions simply because they supported Tinubu’s re-election.

“All they want me to do is to say, since they are supporting the President, nobody should run for National Assembly, nobody should run for State Assembly, nobody should run for Governorship. Where do you see that happening?

“Then they will call me to tell me, can we produce candidates of your party? Come on, who does that? No, sorry, I don’t,” he said.

Wike also rejected reports that Tinubu had agreed to concede nine states to him as part of the coalition arrangement.

He challenged those making the claim to identify the states allegedly covered by such an agreement.

“First of all, did they tell you the nine states? No, they didn’t tell me. You see, we owe Nigerians the truth. Tell them the truth. Which are those nine states? State A, state B, state C?” he asked.

According to Wike, such claims could not have originated from individuals genuinely interested in supporting Tinubu’s re-election.

The former Rivers State governor also praised Tinubu over his position on state police and the devolution of powers to sub-national governments.

“Mr President has taken the bull by the horns and said, state police should be considered. People are saying, to solve our security problem, we must have a state police. Mr President has come out boldly to say, I am in support of what they are saying. We must implement it. How many people have done that?” Wike said.

He added that he had not seen a President demonstrate the same level of commitment to devolving powers and resources to state and local governments.

“I have never seen, with all due respect, a man who believes that power should go down, make the rural areas, local governments, state governments have funds to develop. I have never seen that happen. I was governor. I know what I suffered,” he said.

Wike also dismissed suggestions that his activities with the Rainbow Coalition were designed to position him to succeed Tinubu as President in 2031.

He argued that such an ambition would not conflict with Tinubu’s political interests because the President would not be seeking another term in office in 2031 if re-elected in 2027.

“By the grace of God, I don’t think there’s anything a politician wants today that President Tinubu has not made me to achieve. And people should stop talking about ambition, ambition,” he said.

The minister further alleged that some of those opposing the coalition were primarily concerned about maintaining control over key positions in the National Assembly.

“For Mr President to win, not only a party. It’s not only APC supporting President, PDP supporting him, Labour supporting him, this party supporting him. You’re not happy.

“Simply because you know that you will not be in control. You are not going to be the one that will be in control of who will be Senate President? You want to make President to be a lame President. It will not work. President must still have that hand,” Wike said.

Asked whether he had reached out to the three APC governors he appeared not to trust, Wike said he saw no reason to do so because, according to him, there was no genuine issue requiring such intervention.

He said Tinubu had also not contacted him over the matter because there was no issue between them regarding the coalition.

“Why would the President call me, is there any issue? The President will call you when there are issues, when he knows, look, this will give me problems.

“Of course, he is President and a politician. Who doesn’t know him that he’s a master strategist in this game?” he asked.

Wike also spoke about his relationship with some state governors, drawing a distinction between those he considered cordial and those he accused of creating grievances against him.

He singled out Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, describing him as “very timid” and accusing him of repeatedly running propaganda against him.

“I don’t carry anybody’s fight. You have a problem with Saraki? You go and fight with Saraki. Why do you, as a politician, fall into the trap of Saraki? He (AbdulRazaq) carries propaganda every day against me.

“Have you forgotten all these people who fought me? When this fight was going on, they supported my colleagues and told my colleagues to deal with me, that enough is enough of me. My colleagues joined them.

“Now I have won. And now you want something from me? You say you want me to be a houseboy. Houseboy for what? That’s not possible. The point is that go and fight your fight,” he declared.

Wike’s comments come amid growing political disagreements over the Rainbow Coalition and the activities of politicians across party lines ahead of the 2027 elections.