The Broom and The Rainbow: Two Platforms, One President

The political landscape in Abuja is witnessing a significant development with the emergence of Nyesom Wike's Rainbow Coalition and the Progressive Governors Forum's opposition. However, it is not a political crisis but rather a sign that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's strategy for 2027 is active and effective. The President is seen by many as a master strategist.

Tunde Rahman, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Special Duties, explains that Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, is not a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and has not asked to join them. Instead, he is creating a Rainbow Coalition - a platform that brings together PDP, APC, and other party members who are focused on delivering votes for President Tinubu's re-election.

The APC in Rivers State has endorsed this model, recognizing the need to protect President Tinubu's votes through local politics.

The APC governors, led by Senator Hope Uzodimma, have declared their commitment exclusively to all APC candidates and have emphasized their role in protecting the APC ticket from governor to House of Assembly. They are concerned about the potential confusion that a coalition may cause among voters, which could jeopardize APC candidates at the bottom. However, this concern is seen as a legitimate organizational concern and not anti-Tinubu.

President Tinubu's strategy involves two legs: the APC Governors as the first leg, delivering the party vote in 31 states, and Wike's Rainbow Coalition as the second leg, delivering votes from PDP strongholds across various regions. This is not a rift but a big tent that allows mutual accommodation, with both factions reporting to the same Commander-in-Chief. The ultimate mission of both is the election of President Tinubu for a second term, with a single communique titled "For President Tinubu’s re-election."