Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has urged residents of Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid and other candidates endorsed by the Rainbow Coalition in the 2027 general elections.
Wike, the coalition’s national leader, made the appeal on Friday at a town hall meeting in Abua-Odual, where he praised Tinubu’s administration for stabilising key national sectors and restoring industrial harmony in tertiary institutions.
He urged residents to vote for Tinubu, Kinsley Chinda for Rivers governor, Felix Obua for Rivers West Senatorial District and Solomon Boss for Abua-Odual-Ahoada East Federal Constituency, all under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Wike said the coalition had allocated four electoral seats to the APC but reserved the Abua-Odual State Constituency seat for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), asking residents to support its candidate, John Iderima.
“This is what we mean by rainbow, rainbow, rainbow. So all our votes, whether you’re in PDP or APC, we will put our votes together for Tinubu and all the candidates mentioned,” he said.
He described the Rainbow Coalition as an alliance aimed at securing victory for its candidates in the 2027 elections.
Wike also cautioned residents against supporting politicians who, he said, lacked clear governance plans and proven development records. He argued that leadership should be judged by concrete achievements and a clear vision rather than repeated election bids.
Citing his record as Rivers governor, Wike urged residents to assess candidates based on projects delivered rather than political promises. He challenged other former governors to show what they had done for Abua-Odual, pointing to projects executed in the area during his tenure.
Chinda commended Wike for mobilising support for Tinubu and other coalition candidates across communities.
“This is a system that we will sustain when we come into government. We have learnt from him, and we will continue.
“It will be a bottom-up approach; the people will decide and determine their fate in government,” Chinda said.
Earlier, Continue Eketu, speaking on behalf of Abua-Odual communities, praised Wike’s leadership and listed projects executed in the local government area during his tenure as governor.
Eketu said the communities had agreed to support all candidates endorsed by the Rainbow Coalition.
