2027: Wike’s coalition broadens Tinubu’s support base — Ex-deputy speaker - Punch Newspapers

President Bola Tinubu and Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike...Photo: State House

Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the South-South Development Commission, Chibudom Nwuche, has said the Rainbow Coalition initiated by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has broadened the support base of President Bola Tinubu. Nwuche commended Wike for what he described as his outstanding performance in the Federal Capital Territory, as well as his political skills and innovativeness. In an electronic statement issued on Monday and obtained by The PUNCH, Nwuche said Wike’s initiation of the Rainbow Coalition was “a political masterstroke that is broadening the President’s political support base ahead of the 2027 presidential election.” He said the coalition had created an important political bridge across party lines, enabling politicians and political stakeholders at various levels to support Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. “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.” The former Deputy Speaker described arguments that the Rainbow Coalition would negatively affect Tinubu’s chances in 2027 as incorrect. “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,” he said. On suggestions that the Rainbow Coalition had triggered confusion in Rivers State, Nwuche said such assertions existed only in the imagination of their authors and speculators. He said, “There is no confusion or uncertainty whatsoever over the choice of the coalition’s consensus governorship candidate in Rivers State. Subsidy was never Nigeria’s problem Rivers Assembly summons PAMO varsity VC over scholarship funds Defections won’t stop my gov dream, Adamawa PDP candidate “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.” Nwuche said members of the Rainbow Coalition would demonstrate the same attitude and determination in other states across the federation. “There is no gainsaying the fact that the coalition is a big plus to the President’s re-election prospects in 2027,” he added. Nwuche urged politicians, particularly those within the ruling All Progressives Congress who were opposed to the Rainbow Coalition, to instead direct their time, energy and resources towards the real work required to secure victory for the President in their polling units, wards, local government areas and states, rather than embarking on needless campaigns against Wike and the coalition. The former Deputy Speaker also appealed to Nigerians across political, religious and ethnic divides to support the re-election of Tinubu in 2027, maintaining that the country needed continuity and stability to consolidate the economic reforms currently underway. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains the best choice for the future prosperity of Nigeria,” he said. Nwuche noted that the reforms might have brought pain, but expressed confidence that the country would soon begin to experience more tangible benefits, stressing that meaningful economic transformation required consistency, policy stability and sufficient time for the reforms to take root and deliver their intended impact on citizens. Nwuche advised Nigerians against being swayed by what he described as “bogus promises, fanciful projections and economic hallucinations” being offered by some presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 elections. While noting that many such promises appeared completely disconnected from the realities of Nigeria’s current economic circumstances and the global economy, he said Nigeria could not afford to continually abandon difficult but necessary policies and return to another cycle of experimentation. “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. Dennis Naku Dennis Naku is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with approximately 19 years of professional experience. He has previously worked with Champion Newspapers and National Mirror Newspaper, reporting across multiple beats. His work reflects extensive newsroom experience and a commitment to professional journalism practice.

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