Former governor of Ebonyi State and the incumbent Minister of Works, David Umahi, says Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike’s “rainbow coalition” is not existing in the State.
According to him, the state remained aligned with the All Progressives Congress and its candidates.
Umahi claim came against the backdrop of disagreements between Wike and some APC governors over political arrangements ahead of the 2027 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. The FCT Minister has said the coalition is separate from the APC and allows politicians from different parties to support Tinubu for president while retaining the freedom to contest or support candidates in other elections.
Umahi spoke during an inspection of the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway in Benue State on Friday.
Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of Works on Media, Francis Nwaze, said in a statement on Saturday that Umahi inspected Section Two of the project at Ado and directed contractors to accelerate construction.
On his relationship with Wike and reports that he was forming a similar political arrangement in Ebonyi, Umahi said, “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.”
Reiterating his earlier criticism of the Peoples Democratic Party, the former Ebonyi governor said he left the party because he believed 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.
The Minister 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.
He said, “Anybody that wants to campaign, come and campaign. But don’t dish out hate speeches and you want to take those speeches, and you want that we should lay a red carpet for you. We will not do that.
“Nobody can foment crisis in Ebonyi State.”
Umahi’s comments come amid disagreements between Wike and some APC governors over the role of the Rainbow Coalition in the 2027 elections.
Wike has maintained that the platform is designed to mobilise support for Tinubu across party lines and is not intended to replace the APC. Some APC governors have opposed political arrangements they believe could undermine the party or its candidates.
The minister also linked his political support for Tinubu to the Federal Government’s infrastructure programme, rejecting claims that he had concentrated federal projects in the South-East.
He said, “I saw on social media where they say I cornered all projects to Southeast. That is very wonderful. But we have the publication of all projects ongoing by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, so they darken counsel without knowledge.
“I’m not on my own. The President is my boss. So where will he be when I corner all projects to Southeast?”
Umahi said the South-East was receiving infrastructure projects as part of the Federal Government’s wider programme, adding that the region might not be first, second or third in project distribution but “definitely they will not be the last.”
He said Nigerians should assess the administration through projects already being executed rather than campaign promises.
“We tell our story. It’s not a question of saying, ‘I will do this, I’ll do this.’ What about the one that the person is doing? Let us compare the past with the present,” he said.
He cited the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway among the projects being implemented by the Federal Government. Section Two of the highway, according to the minister, covers about 173.6 kilometres and has a contract value of about N683bn, while Section One is valued at about N454bn.
During the inspection in Benue State, Umahi directed contractors not to demolish buildings along the current alignment until the Federal Government completes its review and, where necessary, realigns the route.
“My directive is that no building should be touched. Even if it’s within the alignment, I have to come and realign it. So you just have to continue your work and go around those buildings until we come to look at it,” he said.
He also directed contractors to accelerate work and open additional sections of the highway while engineers resolve the challenge around the Ado Bridge.
“I do not believe in engineering that anything is impossible,” Umahi said.
The minister further defended his support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, saying his position was based on the President’s policies and infrastructure programme.
“What gave rise to this is because I believe in President Bola Tinubu. I believe that he’s the one called by God. I believe in his vision. I believe in his reforms. I believe he’s the best person that I have worked with and for, and I’m very proud of working for him and working with him,” he said.
Umahi argued that continuity was important for major infrastructure projects, particularly those requiring several years to complete.
“If, God forbid, another person says he’s President, all these projects will be stalled. And I don’t think Ebonyi wants their projects to be stalled,” he said.
On his son’s nomination as chairman of Ohaozara Local Government Area, Umahi said the nomination was made by Governor Francis Nwifuru and not by him.
He said he had advised his son to ensure equitable development across the 11 wards.
“I have advised him, don’t do anything for the people of Uburu because you are from Uburu. It has to be equitably distributed among the eleven council wards in Ohaozara Local Government,” he said.
