APC Members Vows to Remain in Wike’s Rainbow Coalition

Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected calls for members of the party to distance themselves from the Rainbow Coalition associated with former Rivers State governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The state chapter said it would remain part of the political alliance despite the recent position of the APC Governors’ Forum against political arrangements that could weaken the party or affect its candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Rivers APC maintained that the political situation in the state was different from what obtains in other parts of the country.

It therefore asked APC governors to focus on strengthening their own political structures, building alliances and mobilising voters for President Bola Tinubu instead of attempting to dictate how the Rivers chapter should operate.

The position was contained in a statement signed by the Rivers APC chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, and the state publicity secretary, Hon. Chibike Ikenga.

The statement came shortly after the Progressive Governors’ Forum, chaired by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, declared that APC governors would not support political alliances or arrangements capable of weakening the ruling party or affecting APC candidates in the 2027 elections.

The governors had specifically said their campaign activities would remain focused on APC candidates at all levels.

However, Rivers APC said the governors needed to understand that political strategies could not be applied uniformly across Nigeria.

“We enjoin the Progressive Governors Forum to do more in building alliances, massive mobilizations, engagements etc with other groups to increase the voters turnout and support for the presidential their states.

“All politics is local and you can not extrapolate a particular style, system, procedure etc to parts of the country. Noting also that electioneering processes/outcomes are not determined by same variables across the federating units.”

The state chapter said its decision to work with the Rainbow Coalition was based on the political realities in Rivers State.

The coalition has brought together politicians and supporters from different political platforms, including the APC, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and Action Alliance (AA).

Wike has repeatedly described the coalition as a platform created to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

He has also insisted that supporting Tinubu does not mean that political parties participating in the coalition will abandon their candidates in other elections.

That position has become a major point of disagreement between Wike and some APC governors.

Politics Nigeria reported that APC Governors’ Forum recently said its members would not participate in or support arrangements that could undermine the party or its candidates.

Wike, in response, argued that the Rainbow Coalition was not an APC structure and was not created to take over the ruling party.

He maintained that his personal objective was to mobilise support for Tinubu’s return to office while allowing political parties to pursue their interests in governorship and legislative contests.

“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 States House of Assembly elections.”

He also argued that Nigerian voters were capable of making different choices during the same election cycle.

The Rivers chapter said it was comfortable with the arrangement it had entered into with Wike and other members of the coalition.

According to the party, political alliances are legitimate tools through which different groups can pursue common interests, particularly where such arrangements are considered beneficial to the people.

“Politics is about contestations between parties and groups in the protection of their interests. Consequently, coalitions, alliances, partnerships etc are undertaken to coalesce divergent interests through increases in strength, promotion of unity, peace, development, achieving common goals, reduction of conflict and provision of wider support.”

The party further argued that Rivers State had the political space to determine the alliances that would serve its interests.

It said decisions concerning political partnerships in the state should not be dictated by actors outside Rivers State.

“Rivers state as a sub national unit in our Federation is at liberty to forge any alliance/Partnership or coalition that will enhance a seamless process that will engender a consummate protection of the interests of the masses of the state.”

The APC leadership in Rivers also rejected the idea that external political pressure would force it to abandon the coalition.

“All politics is sharpened by the whims and caprices of the PEOPLE in the state and MUST be in tandem with the aspirations of the citizens/residents. Accordingly, we shall not succumb to the external pressures of any group/parties outside our domain.”

The party said its experience from the 2023 presidential election had strengthened its confidence in the arrangement.

It claimed that the political strategy helped protect the interests of Rivers State and contributed to the delivery of votes to Tinubu and other candidates.

The Rivers APC said it expected the coalition to perform even better during the 2027 elections.

“As a party, we want to reiterate further, that, we are very comfortable with our coalition arrangements as it did help us in no small measure in protecting the interests of the state and its people in the 2023 elections with the delivery of our votes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR and other candidates and shall even do better in 2027 with massive votes for the President and other coalition candidates.”

The FCT minister said his immediate concern was the presidential election and that politicians could deal with their separate state contests after the presidential poll.

“After the president is re-elected, we can all go and face elections in our various states.”

The Rivers APC, meanwhile, has made it clear that it does not see its participation in the coalition as a temporary arrangement.

The party described Wike as its leader in the state and said it remained committed to the political structure being developed around him.

“Finally, we are committed to the Rainbow Coalition led by our Leader, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, as it has always worked for us in the state and we have no regrets in mid-wifing it for our greater participation and development,” the party said.