By Davies Iheamnachor & Daniel Abia, PORT HARCOURT
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku Abubakar, will not secure up to 10 per cent of the votes in Rivers State in the 2027 presidential election.
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Wike also ruled out endorsing any governorship aspirant ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that the candidate who will succeed Governor Siminalayi Fubara would emerge through the collective decision of his political alliance, known as the Rainbow Coalition.
The former Rivers State governor spoke on Saturday during a luncheon organised for candidates of the Rainbow Coalition in Port Harcourt.
The coalition comprises members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, All Progressives Congress, APC, Labour Party, LP, and Action Alliance, AA.
Wike said the coalition had resolved to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid but had yet to settle on a governorship candidate for Rivers State.
“In the Rainbow Coalition, we have not chosen who will be governor of Rivers State. We have party candidates who have emerged under the coalition, but the only decision we have taken is that we are going to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
The FCT minister used the occasion to dismiss claims that Kingsley Chinda or any other aspirant had already been endorsed for the governorship race.
According to him, all aspirants interested in contesting under the coalition have equal opportunities and would be subjected to an agreed selection process.
“Let me correct one impression. We have not chosen who will be the governor in Rivers State,” Wike stated.
He invited politicians across party lines to join the coalition, describing it as the dominant political platform in the state.
“If you want to be important in the politics of Rivers State, come and join the Rainbow Coalition. If you want to be governor, senator, House of Representatives member, House of Assembly member or local government chairman, you must come. If you don’t come, you cannot get it,” he said.
Speaking on the 2027 presidential election, Wike expressed confidence that Atiku and the ADC would perform poorly in Rivers State.
He argued that the ADC and the National Democratic Congress, NDC, lacked electoral experience and were unfamiliar with the realities of grassroots politics.
“ADC and NDC have not run elections before. They do not understand elections. They only understand defections. This is the time they will see practical politics,” he said.
Wike noted that Atiku failed to secure up to 10 per cent of the votes in Rivers State during the 2023 presidential election and vowed that the coalition would ensure a similar outcome in 2027.
“Atiku Abubakar did not get up to 10 per cent in Rivers State in 2023. It will be very disappointing if he gets 11 per cent in the next election. We will make sure the ADC does not get 10 per cent here,” he said.
The minister also commended members of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule for what he described as their role in defending democracy during the state’s prolonged political crisis.
“The history of Rivers State cannot be complete without you and your colleagues. You stood by the truth and defended democracy,” he said.
Wike’s remarks come amid renewed political intrigue surrounding the governorship ambitions of some aspirants, including Chinda.
