2027: Wike Predicts Bigger ‘Rainbow Coalition’ For Tinubu

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has predicted the emergence of a broader political coalition in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Wike made the disclosure on Friday in Abuja while speaking with journalists during an inspection of ongoing infrastructure projects across the FCT.

He was reacting to the recent visit of Osun State Governor-elect, Ademola Adeleke, to President Tinubu, describing the development as a sign of a growing political realignment around the President.

According to Wike, the emerging alliance would produce what he called a “larger Rainbow Coalition” comprising politicians from different political parties who are backing Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

“When you say opposition, I’ve told you I don’t know what you call opposition, as far as there is no opposition now,” Wike said.

He noted that although Adeleke secured his governorship ticket on the platform of the Accord Party, he remained a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), arguing that his engagement with Tinubu reflected the changing political landscape.

“What happened last night is meeting to rebuild a larger Rainbow Coalition. And he (Adeleke) is supporting Mr President. He’s in a different party; I’m supporting Mr President, and I’m in a different party. So, it’s a larger Rainbow Coalition,” he said.

The minister predicted that more political actors would join the alliance in the coming weeks.

“And the next few weeks, watch what is going to happen. You will see a larger Rainbow Coalition in this country supporting Mr President,” Wike said.

He also dismissed claims by members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) that the party contributed significantly to Adeleke’s electoral victory, accusing them of attempting to benefit from a political success they did not create.

“All those ADC who are talking about ‘they helped Adeleke to win,’ they just wanted to go and harvest where they never planted,” he said.

Wike maintained that the political development had further strengthened Tinubu’s position ahead of the 2027 election, insisting that the President’s political camp was increasingly becoming stronger.

Reacting to questions about how former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi might view his engagement with Adeleke, the minister said he was unconcerned about their reactions.

“I have told you when you say ‘leading opposition,’ I’ve told you that there’s no opposition,” he said.

“What you have are people who are just trying to see whether they can be relevant.”

He argued that the PDP, which ordinarily should constitute the country’s main opposition party, had been weakened by its prolonged internal crisis.

“Ordinarily, it should have been PDP, but because of the crisis we’ve had, and so you can’t see a formidable party that you will call the leading opposition party,” Wike said.

The minister added that his objective was to secure victory for his political camp, stressing that political contests were not designed to make opponents comfortable.

Earlier, Wike said the inspection tour was aimed at monitoring projects scheduled for completion before the end of the year and ensuring that contractors remained committed to agreed timelines.

He inspected the N5 Extension in Life Camp, being constructed by Julius Berger, and expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work.

The minister said the project was expected to be completed and handed over in December.

He also inspected the N1 Road project being executed by Arab Contractors, describing the quality of construction as impressive and confirming that the project was also scheduled for completion and handover in December.

Wike subsequently inspected the IBB International Golf Club, which is undergoing rehabilitation following the intervention of President Tinubu.

He said the rehabilitation of the facility was particularly important because members of the diplomatic community had complained about its prolonged closure.

“That this golf course must be ready and be reopened by December. So we are giving it to Julius Berger to ensure that everything is done. And by December this year, the golf course will be reopened,” he said.

According to the minister, Julius Berger was re-engaged for the rehabilitation because the company originally constructed the facility and possessed the necessary knowledge of its design and standards.

He explained that physical work on the golf course was expected to be completed by November, paving the way for its official reopening in December.

Wike said the facility had been shut following an internal crisis, which resulted in the appointment of a caretaker committee headed by the President of the Court of Appeal.

He commended the committee for its efforts in resolving the crisis and facilitating the rehabilitation of the facility.

The minister, however, warned that the government would not continue to finance the club after its reopening.

He said the management must develop sustainable revenue streams capable of funding the club’s operations and maintenance without depending on public resources.

“I would believe, this time around, that when this is done, they should be able to raise funds by themselves to run this place. The government should not use public funds to come back to do it,” he said.

Wike assured that the FCT Administration would continue to facilitate payments to the contractors to ensure that work remained on schedule, stressing that the December deadline for the reopening of the golf club remained sacrosanct.