The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed concerns that the emerging Rainbow Coalition supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election could create divisions within the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Wike maintained that the initiative was designed to expand support for Tinubu beyond the ruling party rather than undermine its structure.
The minister spoke during a media parley in Abuja on Tuesday, explaining that the coalition brought together APC members and supporters of the president from other political parties.
Wike, who coordinates the coalition’s activities in Rivers State and the FCT, said the arrangement was intended to strengthen Tinubu’s re-election bid.
“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,” he said.
He maintained that the APC remained the platform through which Tinubu would seek re-election, while supporters from other political 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,” Wike said.
The FCT 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 added.
Wike explained that political circumstances varied across states, making it necessary to accommodate local interests while pursuing the shared objective of securing Tinubu’s re-election.
He argued that political leadership involved persuading supporters from different backgrounds to work towards a common goal, describing the coalition as an effort to broaden the president’s support base beyond traditional party boundaries.
The minister further rejected suggestions that such cooperation was entirely new to Nigerian politics, noting that political figures had previously supported presidential candidates outside their parties while maintaining separate political interests at the state level.
However, he acknowledged that the current political environment had made such cooperation more visible and formalised.
Wike said 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 the president’s performance on its merits rather than allow partisan considerations to determine their judgment.
