PORT HARCOURT — Following the Presidency’s formal recognition of Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has countered by declaring that traditional party structures are no longer the primary political force in the state.
Responding to a January 22, 2026, statement by presidential spokesperson Daniel Bwala—who affirmed Fubara’s leadership on the grounds that the Governor is a registered APC member while Wike is not—the Minister asserted that his influence transcends formal party lines. Wike introduced a cross-party political movement known as the “Rainbow Coalition for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” which he claims has unified all major political interests in Rivers into a single support group.
Wike, who designated himself the leader of this coalition, maintained that as far as Rivers State is concerned, conventional parties have effectively been absorbed into this new movement. He took credit for aligning diverse political factions toward a common goal: ensuring President Tinubu sweeps every eligible vote in the state during the 2027 general elections.
While pledging his machinery’s total commitment to the President’s second-term bid, the FCT Minister explicitly stated that the coalition’s local mandate is to ensure the removal of Governor Fubara. Wike characterized the 2027 cycle as a mission to deliver a landslide for the Presidency while simultaneously “ousting” the Governor from his seat.
Political observers note that by pivoting to a “coalition” model, Wike is attempting to bypass the formal APC hierarchy now dominated by Fubara, setting the stage for a 2027 showdown between the Governor’s institutional party platform and the Minister’s non-partisan grassroots machinery.
