Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has asked his supporters to stop referring to him as their political leader, declaring that he now belongs to the Rainbow Coalition led by his predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Fubara made the declaration on Tuesday during the unveiling of the coalition’s candidates for the 2027 elections at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt, where he pledged to work for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election and the victory of other coalition candidates in Rivers State.

The Rainbow Coalition, initiated by Wike, brings together members of different political parties to support Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Fubara said he was aware that some supporters who stood by him during his political crisis with Wike still referred to him as their leader during meetings, but insisted that the disagreement had been resolved.

“We are now in one house. And because we have one house, there is no issue about who is the leader. I might be your oga (governor), but we have a common leader now,” he said.

“So, please, going forward, this issue of my leader, my leader, my leader, I want it resolved here and now.”

The governor described Wike as his political leader and acknowledged the former governor’s role in his emergence as governor of Rivers State.

“Your Excellency, my oga, the leader of the Rainbow Coalition. Let me borrow the language of the PDP man. He said our G.O. You’re the G.O of Rainbow Coalition,” Fubara said.

He expressed delight at the reconciliation, describing the coalition as his political family and pledging to work towards its success in 2027.

“I’m really happy to be here. Not just being here, but standing in the midst of my family. This is my family because I wouldn’t have been the governor of Rivers State if God Almighty had not passed through my oga and other leaders to make it possible in our dear state,” he said.

Fubara added that he would work to ensure victory for Tinubu and the coalition’s candidates, saying the President had stood by him during his most difficult period.

“I want to say that I’m here with all my heart, my soul and my body, and I will do everything within my power to ensure that we have victory not just for Mr President, who has stood by me in my most difficult time, but also to ensure that this power remains in our own bloc,” he said.

Background to Wike-Fubara Political Crisis

The political rift between Wike and Fubara erupted in October 2023, barely six months after Fubara assumed office. Wike, who supported Fubara’s emergence as governor, fell out with his successor over control of the state’s political structures and the influence of the former governor’s loyalists in the House of Assembly.

The dispute escalated into moves to impeach Fubara, a split in the Assembly and legal battles over control of the state.

A peace deal brokered by Tinubu in December 2023 failed to resolve the differences, which deepened over budgetary matters, local government elections and political appointments.

On March 18, 2025, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Fubara, his deputy and lawmakers for six months. Fubara returned to office in September 2025, but political tensions persisted.

The latest reconciliation signals an effort by the two leaders to put their differences behind them and present a united political front ahead of the 2027 elections.

Wike Mobilises Support for Tinubu, Attacks Atiku and Amaechi

Speaking at the event, Wike said the Rainbow Coalition was not intended to create political crises but to unite members of different parties in support of Tinubu’s re-election.

“I have said it, and let me reiterate that the Rainbow Coalition means no harm but to bring people of all the various political parties together to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

The minister warned against handing over power to people he described as “political gamblers” in 2027.

Wike also criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, accusing him of inconsistency and questioning his suitability for the presidency.

“He is not a man who can go to the bank with his words. He tells you one thing in the morning, he tells you another thing in the afternoon. He tells you something in the evening; the next morning he tells you a different thing. Is he the man you will follow?” Wike asked.

He also made allegations of financial misconduct against former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, while criticising his opposition to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid in 2015.

Wike recalled that Amaechi had argued against Jonathan’s re-election on the grounds that it would violate the unwritten power-sharing arrangement between the North and the South.

However, Amaechi has not been formally charged with a crime in connection with his tenure as Rivers State governor.

Wike called on PDP members across the country to support Tinubu, saying the party’s leadership had agreed to back the President’s re-election bid.

“So, every PDP member in Imo State, Kwara, Gombe, Zamfara, Ogun and every PDP member in every other state must support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.

He further claimed that the Independent National Electoral Commission had recognised Abdulrahman Mohammed as the PDP’s national chairman and insisted that there was no faction in the party.

Wike also urged members of the coalition to support APC candidates for the National Assembly, state assemblies and governorship elections, including the coalition’s Rivers State governorship candidate, Kingsley Ogundu Chinda.

He announced that Tinubu would visit Port Harcourt on November 7 for a presidential campaign rally at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium.

“Let me inform you that Mr President will be coming on the 7th of November to flag off the Presidential rally. We expect us to be three times more than this,” he said.

Chinda Promises Inclusive Government

In his acceptance speech, Chinda promised to run an inclusive government that would accommodate people across political parties, religions and ethnic groups.

“We are no longer divided in Rivers State. No more winners are taking it all in Rivers politics. Our number one candidate in the Rainbow Coalition is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

Fubara also described the unveiling of the candidates as a rare honour, expressing confidence in their prospects in the January 2027 elections.

Uzodimma Rejects Rainbow Coalition in Imo

Meanwhile, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has ruled out the Rainbow Coalition’s presence in his state, declaring that the APC remains the only party his administration will support.

Uzodimma spoke on Tuesday in Owerri during the distribution of campaign vehicles by the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, where he urged members to use the vehicles judiciously.

“The All Progressives Congress, APC, is the only party that we can trust. Vote APC in the House of Assembly, APC for governor, APC for House of Representatives, Senate, crown it with APC for the Presidency,” he said.

The governor expressed confidence that Imo would deliver substantial votes for Tinubu in 2027, attributing the expected support to the President’s performance.

“There is no Rainbow Coalition in Imo State,” Uzodimma declared.

His position highlights differences in how political leaders are approaching the Rainbow Coalition, with Fubara embracing the platform in Rivers State while Uzodimma insists on exclusive support for the APC in Imo.