By David Eze, Abakaliki
Minister of Works and former Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi, has ruled out the Rainbow Coalition in Ebonyi State, insisting that the state remains aligned with the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 elections.
Umahi made the declaration while inspecting Section Two of the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway at Ado in Benue State.
His position comes amid disagreements between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and some APC governors over the coalition’s role in the 2027 political contest.
Wike has described the Rainbow Coalition as a cross-party platform seeking support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election while allowing members to retain their party affiliations.
But Umahi dismissed reports that a similar structure was taking shape in Ebonyi, stressing that his political relationship with Wike would not alter the state’s alignment.
“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.”
The declaration reinforces the position of APC leaders in the South-East who have opposed political arrangements they believe could weaken the party or its candidates ahead of 2027.
The Progressive Governors’ Forum has also rejected political arrangements capable of undermining the APC or adversely affecting its candidates.
Umahi, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC, also revisited his decision to leave the opposition party.
He said the PDP failed to reciprocate the South-East’s support for its presidential candidates when the region expected political recognition.
“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, however, said political actors were free to campaign in Ebonyi provided their activities remained peaceful.
He warned against inflammatory rhetoric, saying political competition should not threaten the state’s stability.
“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.”
He added that nobody would be allowed to foment crisis in the state.
Umahi also linked his continued support for President Tinubu to the Federal Government’s infrastructure programme, while rejecting claims that projects under his supervision had been concentrated in the South-East.
