Minister of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) Nyesom Wike on Tuesday said that the Rainbow Coalition will deliver Rivers State and Abuja, for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
Wike positioned Tinubu’s re-election campaign around infrastructure delivery and grassroots mobilization.
Speaking to members of the Rivers Rainbow Coalition Youths in Port Harcourt, Minister Wike said the administration should be judged by roads, bridges and other projects rather than campaign promises.
He argued that tangible benefits, not political rhetoric, would determine voter behavior.
“We are not playing politics for the sake of it without bringing benefits to our people,” Wike said.
“We are looking for those who will do something that will positively impact Nigerians and the Rivers people.”
Wike described the Rainbow Coalition as a cross-party platform created to support what he called purposeful leadership and sustain development.
The coalition has drawn support from figures aligned with Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara, a notable political realignment in a state long defined by rivalry between Wike and the governor’s camp.
The minister said Rivers’ political future should be tied to the benefits the state receives from the federal government, citing what he said were at least 49 Rivers indigenes holding prominent federal positions.
Wike sharply criticized opposition politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, calling them inconsistent and untrustworthy.
He urged voters to reject candidates who offer “empty promises” without a record of delivery.
“You cannot vote for a political gambler,” he said.
“Every time, they come around making empty promises, but our people know better now.”
The minister directed that young people receive meaningful representation on committees organizing presidential rallies and other campaign activities, calling them the coalition’s “foot soldiers.”
Youth leaders and student representatives pledged to mobilize support across Rivers’ 23 local government areas, tertiary institutions and the diaspora.
Kingsley Chinda, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers, told the gathering that a future administration would prioritize compulsory bursary payments by local councils and expand technical and vocational education.
He said the coalition’s youth wing would remain central to its campaign structure.
“The message we are sending out today is that the youths of Rivers State are unapologetically, unconditionally standing firm with Tinubu for president,” Chinda said.
The meeting underscores an early and aggressive effort by Tinubu’s allies to lock down Rivers, a politically consequential oil-producing state, more than a year before the 2027 vote.
