Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa says the state remains firmly aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC), while maintaining that he has no disagreement with Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), or the rainbow coalition he is building.
Aiyedatiwa made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Monday while responding to questions about the cross-party coalition supporting President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
“In my state, it is APC all the way; that does not mean that I don’t have relationship with Wike. I don’t have any problem with Wike,” the governor said.
He said political alliances are not unusual, noting that interests, relationships and partnerships often shape political activities.
“Politics is about interests, relationships, alliances, if you like. So, rainbow coalition being led by His Excellency Honourable Minister Nyesom Wike, there is nothing wrong in having coalition or alliances; it’s all about interests, who wants to be part of that, you choose,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa compared the coalition to different support groups backing Tinubu’s bid for another term, arguing that there is nothing inappropriate about such arrangements when their purpose is to support the president.
“There is freedom of association of being a member of one group, coalition or another, just as we have a lot of support groups supporting the president,” he said.
“So, if rainbow coalition is also in form of a support group too for the president, what is wrong in that? Nothing.”
The governor reiterated that his commitment to the APC in Ondo State does not conflict with his relationship with Wike or his position that political alliances are legitimate.
“In my state, it is APC all the way,” he stated.
Wike, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said in January that his rainbow coalition represented a move away from traditional party politics towards a broader political movement aimed at advancing the interests of the state.
However, the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) said it would not support any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining Tinubu’s re-election bid or the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections.