The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said that the governorship candidate of the Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State for the 2027 general election will be chosen collectively by the coalition’s leadership, dismissing claims that any aspirant has already secured the ticket.

Wike made the clarification on Saturday during a luncheon organised for candidates of the coalition in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in a programme aired by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

The former Rivers State governor explained that the coalition, which comprises the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), and Action Alliance (AA), has not endorsed any individual for the governorship race.

According to him, the only consensus reached so far by the alliance is its decision to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

“The Rainbow Coalition has not chosen who will be the governor of Rivers State. We have party candidates who have emerged under the Rainbow Coalition, but the only decision we have taken is that we are going to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Wike said.

He described the coalition as the dominant political force in Rivers State, insisting that anyone seeking elective office in the state must align with the alliance to stand a realistic chance of success.

“If you want to be important in the politics of Rivers State, come and join the Rainbow Coalition. If you want to be governor, come here. If you want to be senator, come here. If you want House of Representatives, come here. If you want Assembly, come here. If you want local government, come here.

“You must come here. If you don’t come, you cannot get it,” he declared.

Wike cautioned aspirants against celebrating prematurely or creating the impression that the coalition had already settled for a governorship candidate, saying such claims could undermine the alliance’s collective decision-making process.

He urged candidates across the four parties to continue grassroots mobilisation while awaiting the coalition’s final position, maintaining that all the aspirants within the alliance are qualified to serve the state.

The FCT minister also spoke on the need for unity among political actors in Rivers State, saying the coalition was established to end years of political division and external interference in the state’s affairs.

“God said no, we must come together as a people, irrespective of our political leanings. What is important is that we must talk about the development of our state. We must talk about the unity of our state,” he said.

Wike further criticised smaller political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), arguing that political rhetoric and defections cannot replace strong party structures.

According to him, only the PDP, APC and Labour Party have consistently demonstrated the organisational capacity required to contest and win elections at both state and national levels.