Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has ruled out the existence of a “Rainbow Coalition” in Ebonyi State, while insisting that his political relationship with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike remains intact.
Mr Umahi, a former governor of Ebonyi State, said Wike was his “friend and brother”, but maintained that any political candidates backed by the FCT minister would not alter their relationship.
“If Wike has candidates here, he has not told me, but his candidates cannot break our relationship,” Umahi said.
“There is no Rainbow Coalition in Ebonyi State.”
The minister made the remarks while inspecting the Abakaliki-Afikpo section of the Cross River-Ebonyi-Benue-Abuja Trans-Saharan Highway.
His comments come amid political manoeuvring ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections and growing attention around the Rainbow Coalition associated with Mr Wike.
Umahi said Ebonyi remained aligned with the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates, while warning politicians planning to campaign in the state against inflammatory rhetoric.
“Anybody that wants to campaign, come and campaign. But don’t dish out hate speeches,” he said.
“Nobody can foment crisis in Ebonyi State.”
Umahi also criticised his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying the South-East had supported the party in previous presidential elections but was not adequately recognised in return.
“We supported the PDP. We voted for presidents in the PDP. And when it was our time for them to honour us, they did not honour us. They maltreated us,” he said.
The minister’s comments underline the political distinction he is drawing between his personal relationship with Wike and the political structure operating in Ebonyi State.
Recent reports have described Wike’s Rainbow Coalition as a multi-party platform seeking support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election while allowing politicians to retain their respective party affiliations. (TheCable)
Umahi’s inspection also focused on the ongoing Trans-Saharan Highway project, a major federal infrastructure scheme linking parts of the South-East and North-Central regions. The federal government says the wider corridor is intended to connect Cross River, Ebonyi, Benue, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory. (statehouse.gov.ng)
