Wike, Fubara Meet As Rivers Rainbow Coalition Gains Momentum

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Kingsley Chinda, and their supporters have met with Governor Siminalayi Fubara and members of his political camp.

The meeting reportedly took place in Port Harcourt on Tuesday as efforts to consolidate political reconciliation in the state gather momentum.

The closed-door meeting, said to have been held at the governor’s residence on brought together key political stakeholders and supporters from both camps, following years of bitter political disagreements that deepened divisions within the state’s political class.

Wike and Chinda reportedly arrived at about 4pm and joined Fubara and his supporters for the four-hour engagement, which was said to have ended at about 8pm.

The meeting came amid renewed efforts by Wike to strengthen his political structure in Rivers State, with more politicians reportedly joining his “Rainbow Coalition.”

The coalition, which was formed by Wike, is a multi-party alliance involving members of the APC, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and Action Alliance (AA).

Several political actors across the state have reportedly aligned with the coalition after engagements with ethnic nationalities.

In Etche ethnic nationality, three prominent politicians—former House of Representatives member, Ogbonna Nwuke; former Omuma Local Government Area chairman, Nwuke Anucha; and former Etche caretaker chairman, John Ngubo-Otamiri—have reportedly returned to the political fold and pitched their tent with the coalition.

However, the growing political alignment around Wike has been dismissed as a threat by the Rivers governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Lulu-Briggs.

Speaking earlier at the unveiling of his manifesto and campaign roadmap, tagged “Reset Rivers State,” in Buguma City, Asari-Toru Local Government Area, Lulu-Briggs said the coalition would not determine the outcome of the election.

He described Wike’s coalition as a “rainbow” that had already “lost its colour,” arguing that its combined strength represented less than seven per cent of Rivers State’s population.

“I am not bothered about any form of coalition,” he said, insisting that the people of Rivers State, rather than political alliances, would ultimately determine the outcome of the 2027 election.

Despite the political realignment, neither Wike, Fubara, Chinda nor their supporters addressed journalists after the meeting, leaving the outcome and specific agreements reached at the closed-door engagement undisclosed.