A former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche, has expressed confidence that the political alliance championed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, could give President Bola Tinubu a stronger footing ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Nwuche, who is also the Chairman of the South-South Development Commission, said the Rainbow Coalition had opened up opportunities for politicians from different parties to work in support of Tinubu without necessarily defecting from their political platforms.
In a statement issued on Monday, he described Wike’s role in the formation of the coalition as a major political development.
“Wike for initiating the Rainbow Coalition is a political masterstroke that is broadening the President’s political support base ahead of the 2027 presidential election.”
He also praised Wike’s record in the FCT, as well as his political experience and approach to governance.
According to Nwuche, the coalition could attract support for Tinubu from politicians who remain members of opposition parties but are willing to back the President in the 2027 election.
“The Rainbow Coalition is a political masterstroke. It has created leeway and an important political opening that allows individuals and groups who may belong to opposition parties to support the President’s re-election without necessarily having to abandon their political parties.”
He rejected suggestions that the coalition could reduce Tinubu’s chances at the polls, arguing that a wider political support network would be beneficial to the President.
“Those suggesting that bringing more Nigerians into President Tinubu’s support base will weaken his chances in 2027 fundamentally misunderstand how political coalitions work. Every additional constituency, political stakeholder, or community that identifies with the President’s interest strengthens, rather than weakens, his electoral prospects.”
Nwuche further dismissed reports of uncertainty surrounding the coalition’s political plans in Rivers State.
“There is no confusion or uncertainty whatsoever over the choice of the coalition’s consensus governorship candidate in Rivers State. We will be working assiduously to ensure that the good people of Rivers State vote massively for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the coalition’s governorship candidate, as well as the National and State Assembly candidates in the 2027 general elections.”
He said the group would also seek to replicate its political strategy across other states as the 2027 elections approach.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that the coalition is a big plus to the President’s re-election prospects in 2027,” he added.
The former deputy speaker called on APC members who disagree with the coalition to focus their efforts on mobilising voters for Tinubu rather than attacking Wike or the alliance.
He also appealed to Nigerians across ethnic, religious and political lines to support Tinubu’s return to office, saying continuity was important for the implementation of the administration’s economic policies.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains the best choice for the future prosperity of Nigeria. He noted that the reforms may have brought pain, but expressed confidence that the country would soon begin to experience more tangible benefits, stressing that meaningful economic transformation requires consistency, policy stability, and sufficient time for the reforms to take root and deliver their intended impact on citizens,” he said.
Nwuche also warned voters to be cautious of political promises ahead of the 2027 presidential contest, particularly those he considered unrealistic given Nigeria’s economic position.
He described some of the proposals being put forward as “bogus promises, fanciful projections and economic hallucinations”.
He argued that the country needed to maintain necessary economic policies rather than repeatedly abandoning them for new experiments.
“What Nigeria needs now is not a return to the past, but the courage to complete the journey towards a stronger, more productive and prosperous nation,” Nwuche maintained.