Port Harcourt, Rivers State — Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has called on supporters of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to rally behind President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, arguing that increased electoral support for the President could attract more federal appointments and infrastructure projects to the oil-rich state.
Wike made the appeal on Monday during a strategic meeting with Fubara-aligned youth leaders and other supporters in Port Harcourt, as political stakeholders intensified efforts to consolidate the Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The meeting focused on political reconciliation, unity among supporters and the need for Rivers State to strengthen its position in national politics through what Wike described as collective support for the Federal Government.
Addressing participants, the former Rivers State governor declared that his primary political objective was to ensure that the state remained influential in national decision-making.
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“All I want to hear in this state is Tinubu and nothing but Tinubu. If we play the role we are playing now, and we are one of the first three states that get the highest number of votes, we will get more of the appointments,” Wike said.
According to the minister, Rivers State has benefited from high-profile federal appointments under the Tinubu administration. He argued that stronger electoral backing for the President could create further opportunities for the state, particularly for its younger population.
Wike urged party faithful, youth organisations and other political stakeholders to put past disagreements behind them, forgive previous grievances and work together towards a common political objective.
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He maintained that his involvement in the political mobilisation was not driven by personal ambition to return as governor but by his desire to see Rivers State retain a prominent place in the country’s political affairs.
“We are talking for survival and growth. I am not going to be governor again; this is for your own interest. I want this state to grow. I want this state to play an important role in the politics of Nigeria,” he added.
Wike Calls for Reconciliation Among Political Camps
The meeting came less than 24 hours after Wike reportedly led members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, local government chairmen and other coalition leaders to a closed-door meeting with prominent supporters of Governor Fubara at the governor’s private residence in Port Harcourt.
The engagements signal renewed efforts to bring together political groups associated with Wike and Fubara as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
Wike acknowledged that political realignments often come with disagreements, rumours and competing interests. He, however, urged members of the emerging alliance to remain calm and avoid allowing internal disputes to undermine their shared objectives.
The minister also assured supporters who felt marginalized during previous political disagreements that reconciliation mechanisms were being put in place to address their concerns.
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He said reconciliation committees were working to ensure that genuine members of the political family were not excluded from the emerging arrangement.
Wike stressed that unity at the grassroots level would be essential to sustaining the coalition’s political structure and achieving its stated objectives.
Fubara’s Supporters Pledge Cooperation With Wike
Earlier, former Mayor of Port Harcourt, Ezebunwo Ichemati, who spoke on behalf of the governor’s supporters, expressed the group’s readiness to work with Wike and other members of the Rainbow Coalition.
Ichemati described the meeting as a significant development in Rivers State’s political landscape, saying it represented an opportunity for the Wike and Fubara camps to move beyond their differences and pursue a common direction ahead of the 2027 elections.
He declared that the group was prepared to join forces with the coalition to mobilise support for Tinubu and other candidates associated with the political arrangement, including Kingsley Chinda, as mentioned in the meeting’s political discussions.
Using a family analogy to explain the reconciliation effort, Ichemati said disagreements were inevitable but should not prevent people from coming together when an opportunity for peace emerged.
“Every family has its own peculiarity in problems. What matters most is that the family comes together, the children watch what has divided them, and decide to move forward,” he said.
He added that political differences should be treated as challenges that could be resolved through dialogue, understanding and a willingness to move forward.
“If today a marriage faces a problem, some children will go to their father, some will go to their mother. But when a truce is made, the family comes back together—and that is what has happened today,” Ichemati stated.
Rainbow Coalition Looks Towards 2027
The latest meetings come amid efforts by Wike and his political allies to strengthen the Rainbow Coalition, a broad political arrangement bringing together stakeholders from different political platforms around support for Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
Wike has repeatedly argued that Rivers State could expand its influence at the federal level by maintaining a strong working relationship with the Presidency. He has also urged political actors across the state to set aside disagreements and focus on their shared interests.
However, the extent to which the emerging reconciliation will translate into sustained cooperation among the various political groups remains to be seen as the 2027 general elections approach.
For now, the meetings in Port Harcourt highlight renewed attempts to consolidate political support around Tinubu’s re-election bid while addressing lingering divisions within Rivers State’s political landscape.
The coming months will test whether the reconciliation efforts can produce lasting unity among the participating groups and establish a coordinated approach to the forthcoming elections.
