Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has declared his support for the Rainbow Coalition being promoted by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Eno said he was willing to identify with any political platform or alliance whose primary objective was to secure the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
The governor made his position known during a media chat on Saturday, where he spoke about the political arrangement involving members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He explained that the name of the coalition was not important to him, provided its activities were centred on supporting Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
The Rainbow Coalition is a political movement associated with Wike. It brings together politicians across party lines who support Tinubu’s continued stay in office beyond 2027.
Speaking during the interview, Eno openly expressed his willingness to work with the group.
“That rainbow coalition is simply saying that we support President Tinubu as the president,” Eno said.
He further stated that he had no objection to joining any political association working towards the president’s re-election, regardless of the name or political identity attached to it.
“If I will join and be a member of any coalition — whether it is rainbow, call it any name. Any coalition that the central point is supporting the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; I am for it.”
Although Eno belongs to the APC, his comments also highlight the political cooperation developing between members of the ruling party and sections of the PDP, particularly those supporting Wike’s position on Tinubu’s re-election.
Eno also spoke about the relationship between the APC and PDP in Akwa Ibom State, describing the cooperation between the two parties as encouraging.
According to him, political differences have not prevented members of both parties from reaching an understanding on certain political issues ahead of the next general election.
He maintained that the arrangement in the state was based on mutual understanding and a shared commitment to supporting key political officeholders.
“I will work with all of them, and I think we are good on the ground in Akwa Ibom when it comes to the PDP-APC relationship,” the governor said.
Eno disclosed that the political understanding between the two parties extended to the 2027 presidential, senatorial and governorship elections.
“We have agreed on the fact that we are supporting the president, we are supporting the senate president, we are supporting the governor, and we have our clear understanding about those things.”
However, the Rainbow coalition has generated different reactions within the ruling party, particularly among APC leaders who believe that political alliances operating outside the party’s formal structures could create complications for its candidates in the 2027 elections.
In September, APC leaders in the South-East backed the position of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, which called for support for candidates of the ruling party in the forthcoming general election.
The party leaders also criticised the Rainbow Coalition, describing it as the “Rainbow (chameleon) Coalition”. They warned against any political arrangement they believed could weaken the APC’s existing structures in the region.
Their position followed concerns over the activities of the coalition and its possible implications for the party’s candidates in 2027.
The Progressive Governors’ Forum had maintained that political arrangements should not undermine President Tinubu’s re-election campaign or the electoral interests of APC candidates.
Although Wike remains a member of the PDP, his political activities have increasingly placed him at the centre of discussions surrounding Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
In January, the FCT minister explained that the Rainbow Coalition represented a departure from traditional party politics.
He described it as a collective political movement aimed at advancing the interests of the country.
The development has also attracted attention from APC governors, some of whom have expressed reservations about their members participating in political arrangements outside the party.
In October, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, warned APC members in the state against working with political coalitions outside the party.
Uzodimma reportedly threatened to withdraw vehicles provided to campaigners who ignored the directive.
He also reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Tinubu’s re-election, maintaining that the president should be given another opportunity to consolidate the reforms introduced by his administration.