The Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, has declared that there is no “rainbow coalition” in Ebonyi State, insisting that the State remains aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates.
Umahi spoke against the backdrop of disagreements between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and some APC governors over political arrangements ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Rainbow Coalition is a multi-party political platform promoted by Wike to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Wike has said the coalition is separate from the APC and allows politicians from different parties to support Tinubu for president while retaining freedom to contest or support candidates in other elections.
Umahi spoke during an inspection of the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway in Benue State.
A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of Works on Media, Francis Nwaeze, said Umahi inspected Section Two of the project at Ado and directed contractors to accelerate construction.
Commenting on his relationship with Wike and reports that he was forming a similar political arrangement in Ebonyi State, Umahi said Wike remains his friend and brother but stressed that such arrangement will not work in his home State.
“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,” he said.
The former Governor of Ebonyi State also revisited his criticism of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), saying he left the party because it failed to adequately recognise the interests of the South-East.
“We supported PDP. We voted for presidents in PDP. And when it was our time for them to honour us, they did not honour us. They maltreated us,” Umahi said.
He added that those wishing to campaign in Ebonyi were free to do so but warned political actors against hate speech and attempts to cause disorder.
“Anybody that wants to campaign, come and campaign. But don’t dish out hate speeches and you want that we should lay a red carpet for you. We will not do that,” he said.
“Nobody can foment crisis in Ebonyi State,” the minister added.