FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has unveiled 49 Rainbow Coalition candidates in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general elections, bringing together politicians from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under a shared political platform that also supports President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term.
The candidates were presented on Tuesday, October 27, at an event in Port Harcourt attended by political stakeholders, supporters and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who pledged his support for the coalition and called for greater cooperation among its members.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), 34 of the 49 candidates will contest under the APC, while the remaining 15 belong to the PDP. The list covers the governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and Rivers State House of Assembly elections.
The announcement marks a significant political development in Rivers as Wike seeks to unite politicians across party lines behind a common electoral agenda while maintaining their separate party affiliations for other elective positions.
Wike Rainbow Coalition Candidates and Their Party Affiliations
The coalition adopted Kingsley Ogundu Chinda of the APC as its preferred governorship candidate, with Major Jack, also of the APC, selected as his running mate. Their emergence places them at the centre of the coalition’s plans for the Rivers governorship election in February 2027.
For the Senate, the coalition selected Felix Amaechi Obua of the APC to represent Rivers West and Allwell Onyesoh of the APC for Rivers East. Olaka Johnson Nwogu of the PDP emerged as its preferred candidate for Rivers South-East, giving the APC two of the three senatorial slots and the PDP one.
The coalition also announced 13 candidates for the House of Representatives. Ten are members of the APC, while three belong to the PDP. The candidates will contest across constituencies in Rivers State, including Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Etche/Omuma and Ikwerre/Emohua.
For the Rivers State House of Assembly, the group selected 32 candidates, comprising 21 APC members and 11 PDP members. These figures bring the total number of candidates announced by the coalition to 49.
Although the coalition includes political stakeholders from parties such as the Labour Party, Action Alliance, All Progressives Grand Alliance and Allied Peoples Movement, its announced candidates for the 2027 elections are drawn from the APC and PDP.
Wike and Fubara Call for Political Unity
Speaking at the unveiling, Wike said the Rainbow Coalition was established to bring politicians from different parties together in support of Tinubu’s re-election. He urged political leaders to look beyond party differences and work towards what he described as political reconciliation and stability.
The minister’s remarks reflect the coalition’s strategy of coordinating support for the president while backing selected candidates for elective offices in Rivers State. However, the announcement represents the coalition’s preferred choices and should not be confused with final confirmation of every candidate’s nomination under the applicable electoral process.
Fubara’s attendance also attracted attention because of his prolonged political disagreement with Wike, which contributed to a major crisis in Rivers State following the governor’s emergence in 2023.
At the event, Fubara described the gathering as an opportunity to reunite political allies and acknowledged the role Wike played in his political journey. He pledged to support the coalition and work towards its stated objectives, including Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Sunny Ejekwu, the PDP’s governorship candidate in Rivers, also expressed support for the alliance, saying the party would work with the coalition’s adopted candidates. His comments indicated that the group intends to coordinate political support across party lines rather than restrict its activities to a single party.
Coalition Looks Ahead to the 2027 Elections
The unveiling comes as political parties and alliances begin preparations for Nigeria’s next general elections. The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State House of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6.
Wike also announced plans for Tinubu to visit Rivers State on November 7 for a campaign rally at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Igwuruta, according to reports from the unveiling.
The coalition will now seek to mobilise support for its selected candidates while maintaining cooperation among politicians with different party affiliations. Its ability to sustain that arrangement will remain an important issue as preparations for the elections continue.
For now, the announcement establishes the Rainbow Coalition’s preferred candidates and its stated support for Tinubu, while the next stages of party nominations and election preparations will determine how the political arrangement develops.
