ABUJA: FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has said the opposition to his proposed Rainbow Coalition by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is driven by deeper political concerns than fears that the alliance could destabilise the All-Progressives Congress (APC).
Wike made the statement on Monday, September 21, 2026, while speaking with journalists during an inspection of ongoing road projects in the Federal Capital Territory.
The former Rivers State governor also promised to disclose what he described as the “real” issues behind the growing criticism of the Rainbow Coalition during a television appearance later in the day.
Uzodinma, who chairs the Progressive Governors’ Forum, and AbdulRazaq, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, have been among the APC figures whose comments have drawn attention amid discussions surrounding the coalition.
Wike, who remains a prominent figure within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), rejected suggestions that the Rainbow Coalition was primarily designed to position him for a presidential bid in 2031.
According to him, political calculations about 2030 or 2031 are premature because political actors must first consider what happens in the intervening years.
People take the position of God. First of all, you have to pray that you are alive,” Wike said.
He argued that the question of who succeeds President Bola Tinubu would naturally become an important political issue as the administration approaches the end of its tenure.
Wike also noted that he contested the PDP presidential primary in 2022 and finished second, saying his experience in national politics made him knowledgeable about the country’s political dynamics.
I am a politician of this country. I know the conspiracy of people, he said, while questioning which political platform he was allegedly positioning himself for.
The FCT minister maintained that his immediate political priority was supporting President Tinubu’s bid for a second term in office.
Wike said he had made his support for Tinubu clear from the beginning and intended to work toward the President’s re-election.
“My concern is how the President will be re-elected for a second term. That is my concern,” he said.
He therefore dismissed suggestions that the Rainbow Coalition was designed to undermine the APC, arguing that the coalition’s stated objective was to encourage people outside the APC who shared its political outlook to support the President.
Wike said the group had not instructed anybody to withdraw support from another candidate.
“We have not gone to anybody to say, ‘Don’t support anybody.’ We said all our party members, all those like-minds who are not APC members, to please ensure that they support Mr President,” he explained.
Wike also drew a comparison between the Rainbow Coalition and the G5 governors’ bloc that emerged during the 2023 election cycle.
He questioned why the G5 arrangement was not similarly described as an attempt to destabilise the APC.
According to him, the political arrangement eventually contributed to Tinubu’s electoral success and did not prevent the APC from maintaining control of the National Assembly.
He argued that the current criticism of the Rainbow Coalition therefore required closer examination.
Wike said there were “undertones” behind the concerns being expressed about the coalition and promised to explain them publicly.
Wike repeatedly hinted that he would reveal additional information about the dispute during his scheduled television appearance.
He said Nigerians would hear what he described as the full details behind the opposition to the Rainbow Coalition.
“I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag now, so just hold your breath,” Wike said.
The comments come amid heightened political discussions ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections and growing speculation over political alliances and the succession question beyond the next election cycle.
Wike’s comments, however, represent his own explanation of the disagreement, while the positions of other political actors involved remain subject to their respective public statements.
The minister spoke shortly after inspecting several ongoing road projects in Abuja.
Among the projects inspected were the ISEX 2 and Southern Parkway roads, as well as the Nile University–Ring Road 3 project.
Wike said the contractors had committed to completing the relevant projects by January 10, 2027.
The inspection forms part of efforts by the Federal Capital Territory Administration to accelerate the delivery of major infrastructure projects in Abuja.
As political debate over the Rainbow Coalition continues, Wike’s promised disclosure is expected to provide further insight into his interpretation of the opposition coming from senior APC figures
