NO RAINBOW COALITION IN EBONYI, UMAHI DECLARES

Minister of Works and former Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has declared that there is no “Rainbow Coalition” in Ebonyi State ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that the state remains aligned with the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its candidates.

Umahi made the clarification on Friday, September 25, 2026, while inspecting the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway in Ado, Benue State. He was responding to questions about his relationship with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and reports of a possible political alliance involving opposition interests 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.

The former governor said politicians were free to campaign in Ebonyi but warned against hate speech and actions capable of causing tension or disorder in the state.

Umahi also explained his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, saying he believed the party had failed to adequately recognise the interests of the South-East after the region supported the party over the years.

On the 2027 presidential election, Umahi reaffirmed his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, citing the administration’s policies, reforms and infrastructure projects as reasons for his position.

The comments come amid disagreements among political actors over Wike’s proposed Rainbow Coalition, which he has described as a cross-party platform for mobilising support for Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid.