Rainbow Coalition Unveils Consensus Candidates for Rivers State
Wike names APC and PDP politicians as the movement’s picks for 2027, with Tinubu endorsed for president
Nyesom Wike, National Leader of the Rainbow Coalition, has unveiled the coalition’s preferred candidates for the 2027 general elections in Rivers State. The slate features politicians from both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The coalition unanimously endorsed Bola Ahmed Tinubu as its presidential candidate for the election scheduled for 16 January 2027.
For the state’s top offices, Kingsley Ogundu Chinda was named the governorship candidate and Major Jack his running mate, both under the APC. For the three senatorial districts, the House of Representatives and the State House of Assembly, the two parties reached a consensus, dividing the federal and state seats between them.
Wike explained that the coalition is a political alliance of seven parties in Rivers State: AA, APGA, LP, APM, APC, PDP and Boot Party. It aims to rally support behind credible candidates across party lines, for the benefit of the people of Rivers State. He noted that this time the consensus favoured only the PDP and the ruling APC.
Fubara Affirms Wike as the Common Leader
At the event, Governor Siminalayi Fubara made a striking declaration about who leads the state’s politics. He described the Rainbow Coalition as his family, with Minister Nyesom Wike at its helm, and urged his loyalists to recognise Wike as their leader, even though Fubara himself holds the governor’s office.
“Let me say something here so that it will always help us as we move forward,” he said. “I’m aware that some of those who stood with me during the crisis still say, ‘My leader, my leader,’ when you hold your meetings.
“We are now in one house, and because we have one house, there is no question about who the leader is. I am your oga, your governor, but we have a common leader now. So please, let us put an end to this ‘my leader, my leader, my leader’ talk here and now.”
Background: The Political Rift in Rivers State
Wike played a vital role in Fubara’s rise, from the consultations and campaigns to the swearing-in. The two later fell out over control of the party structure and the state itself, following the breakdown of an earlier agreement between them.
The feud began in October 2023, barely six months after Fubara took office. It escalated sharply on 18 March 2025, when President Bola Tinubu suspended the governor, his deputy and the members of the House of Assembly for six months. The suspension ended in September 2025.
