Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, will not win up to 10 per cent of the votes in Rivers State during the 2027 presidential election.
Wike also asserted that no governorship candidate would emerge victorious in Rivers State without the support of his Rainbow Coalition.
The former Rivers governor made the remarks on Saturday during a luncheon organised for the coalition’s candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections. The Rainbow Coalition is made up of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Action Alliance (AA), and Labour Party (LP).
According to Wike, parties such as the ADC and the National Democratic Congress lack electoral experience and are more familiar with political defections than actual election contests.
He stressed that genuine support for President Bola Tinubu should be measured by the ability to mobilise votes rather than public declarations of loyalty or courtesy visits.
Wike argued that Atiku failed to secure 10 per cent of the votes in Rivers State during the 2023 presidential election and insisted that his performance would not improve in 2027. He vowed that the ADC would be prevented from reaching the 10 per cent mark in the state.
The FCT minister further maintained that the Rainbow Coalition would play a decisive role in determining Rivers State’s next governor from among the candidates presented by the alliance’s member parties. However, he noted that no individual, including Ogundu Kingsley Chinda, had been officially endorsed as the coalition’s governorship candidate.
Wike also praised members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, particularly Speaker Martin Amaewhule, for what he described as their commitment to democracy and resistance to lawlessness.
He said the lawmakers played a critical role in protecting democratic institutions in the state and deserved recognition for their contributions to Rivers State’s political history.