The Works Minister says politicians are free to campaign in the state but must avoid hate speech and actions capable of triggering unrest.
Minister of Works David Umahi has rejected the existence of the “Rainbow Coalition” in Ebonyi State, saying the state remains aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
Umahi, a former governor of Ebonyi, made the remarks on Friday, September 25, while inspecting Section Two of the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway in Ado, Benue State.
The comments come amid political disagreements over the Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party platform promoted by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Wike has said the coalition is separate from the APC and is focused specifically on supporting Tinubu’s presidential bid, while allowing participating politicians and parties to pursue candidates in other elections.
Umahi denies Rainbow Coalition presence
According to a statement issued by Francis Nwaze, Umahi’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, the minister said he was unaware of any Wike-backed candidates in Ebonyi.
“If Wike has candidates here, he has not told me. And his candidate cannot break our relationship, but his candidate is not part of our relationship. There is no rainbow coalition in Ebonyi state,” Umahi said.
Umahi also said politicians were free to campaign in Ebonyi but warned them against inflammatory rhetoric and actions that could cause unrest.
“Nobody can foment crisis in Ebonyi state,” he said.
He added: “Anybody that wants to campaign, come and campaign. But don’t dish out hate speeches and you want to take those speeches, and you want that we should lay a red carpet for you. We will not do that.”
The minister’s comments amount to a rejection of any reported Rainbow Coalition structure operating in the state, rather than a claim that Wike’s wider political platform does not exist. Wike has publicly described the coalition as a vehicle for mobilising support for Tinubu across party lines.
Umahi revisits PDP, South-East grievances
Umahi also used the occasion to revisit his departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accusing the party of failing to adequately recognise the interests of the South-East.
“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 mistreated us,” he said.
Umahi left the PDP for the APC in 2020 while serving as Ebonyi governor.
His latest comments come as political realignments continue ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Wike maintaining that his support for Tinubu does not prevent the PDP from fielding candidates in governorship, National Assembly and state assembly elections.
In September, Wike cited the 2023 elections in Ebonyi, Imo, Abia and Enugu as examples of voters supporting different parties in presidential and legislative contests. He argued that such voting patterns showed that support for Tinubu could coexist with support for candidates from other parties in state and legislative elections.
For Ebonyi, however, Umahi said the political structure under his influence remains firmly with the APC and its candidates.
The minister’s comments add another layer to the ongoing debate over how the Rainbow Coalition will operate across states ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly where its cross-party approach intersects with existing party structures and alliances.
