Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has thrown his weight behind the Rainbow Coalition spearheaded by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, affirming that he will support any political alignment dedicated to securing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second term in 2027.

 

Speaking during a media chat on Saturday night, Governor Eno stated that the name or party makeup of a political platform is secondary to its core mission. As long as the movement is built around returning Tinubu to Aso Rock, he said, it has his full backing.

“That rainbow coalition is simply saying that we support President Tinubu as the president,” Eno said, brushing aside debates over political labels. “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.”

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Beyond national alignments, the governor also shed light on the political climate within Akwa Ibom ahead of the general elections. He described the working relationship between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state as cordial, revealing that key stakeholders across both camps have reached a mutual understanding.

According to Eno, the agreement centers on a unified front to deliver three major victories in 2027: President Tinubu’s re-election, the return of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Eno’s own second-term bid.

“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,” he noted, emphasizing that political actors in the state are aligned on these shared goals.

The Rainbow Coalition, launched by Wike, a prominent PDP figure serving in Tinubu’s cabinet, was designed as a cross-party vehicle to rally grassroots support for the president outside traditional party lines. When introducing the movement in January, Wike argued that it marked a shift away from rigid partisanship toward a collective effort focused on development and state interests.
However, the initiative has sparked friction within the ruling APC. In September, South-East APC leaders aligned with the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) to reject what they dismissed as a “chameleon coalition,” warning that informal cross-party alliances could erode the APC’s structural integrity in the region.
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, took an even firmer stance, cautioning APC members in his state against fraternizing with outside political coalitions and threatening to revoke campaign vehicles from anyone who flouted the directive.

Despite the pushback from sections of the ruling party, Governor Eno maintained his pragmatic posture, signaling that in Akwa Ibom, all political roads in 2027 lead toward President Tinubu’s continuity.