The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barr. Nyesom Wike, has thrown his weight behind Senator Magnus Abe’s call for former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, to resign as running mate to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, insisting that the presidency must remain in the South till 2031.
Wike made the declaration on Tuesday in Port Harcourt during the official unveiling of candidates of the Rivers State Rainbow Coalition, a new political alliance rallying support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Senator Magnus Abe had earlier challenged his former boss and political ally, Rotimi Amaechi, to respect his own long-held position on power rotation between the North and the South.
According to Abe, Amaechi had in the past been one of the strongest advocates for power shift and had argued that Nigeria’s stability depends on respecting an unwritten agreement that power should rotate between the two regions.
Abe said it would be contradictory for Amaechi, who opposed a northern presidency in the past, to now accept to be running mate to a northern candidate when it is the turn of the South.
“On behalf of all of us here gathered in Rivers State, we want to call on Amaechi to immediately respect his own position and resign as the vice-presidential candidate to Atiku Abubakar, because it is the turn of the South, and Rivers State will stand by the agreement between the North and the South,” Abe declared.
Abe also urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to respect the principle of rotation and allow the South to complete its eight years, while declaring his full support for President Tinubu and the Rainbow Coalition.
Reinforcing Abe’s position, Wike insisted that the South must retain the presidency till 2031 to ensure fairness, equity and political stability.
The FCT Minister argued that power rotation is not just a political convenience but a necessary tool for national unity, adding that abandoning it now would set a dangerous precedent.
Wike, who is the leader of the Rainbow Coalition, also used the occasion to rally political stakeholders across party lines behind President Tinubu’s second term ambition, calling on members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to support the President regardless of party affiliation.
“Every PDP member in Rivers State, you will support Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Every PDP member in Kwara State, you will support Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Every PDP member in Benue State, you will support Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Wike said.
He extended the same call to PDP members in Ondo, Ogun, Benue and other states, insisting that party differences should not prevent leaders from working together to support Tinubu.
The FCT Minister also criticized opposition figures, questioning Atiku Abubakar’s political consistency and revisiting the record of the Amaechi administration in Rivers State between 2007 and 2015.
Wike revisited promises made during Amaechi’s tenure on malaria prevention and other development projects, questioning whether those commitments were fulfilled. He also referenced allegations concerning the management of funds during Amaechi’s time as governor, citing a judicial panel of inquiry and subsequent court proceedings. The claims were made at the political event and remain part of the long-running political dispute between both camps.
Despite the criticisms, Wike said the Rainbow Coalition was built on peace and inclusion, and urged political actors in Rivers State to avoid actions capable of reigniting tension.
He maintained that the coalition offers a platform for politicians from different parties to work together in support of Tinubu and candidates endorsed by the alliance in Rivers State.
The unveiling event brought together Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Senator Magnus Abe, other political leaders and candidates from different parties under the coalition’s platform. The gathering was presented as a major step towards total political reconciliation in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Governor Fubara, who performed the unveiling of the candidates, described the coalition as a family reunion and pledged to work for its success.
The Rainbow Coalition is expected to mobilize grassroots support across Rivers State for President Tinubu while promoting a message of unity and power rotation as the guiding principle for 2027.
