Umahi Rules Out Rainbow Coalition in Ebonyi, Backs APC for 2027

Minister of Works David Umahi has firmly rejected claims of a “rainbow coalition” operating in Ebonyi State, declaring that the state remains solidly aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The former Ebonyi governor spoke on Friday, September 25, while inspecting Section Two of the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway at Ado in Benue State. In a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, Umahi addressed speculation linking him to cross-party arrangements similar to the platform promoted by Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike.

“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,” Umahi said.

Wike’s Rainbow Coalition is a multi-party platform designed to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election. Wike has described it as separate from the APC, allowing politicians from different parties to back Tinubu for the presidency while retaining freedom to contest or support candidates in governorship, legislative and other races. The arrangement has triggered open disagreement with several APC governors, who insist that support for the president must extend to the party’s candidates at all levels. Governors’ Forum Chairman Hope Uzodinma and colleagues have publicly rejected parallel structures they believe could weaken the APC.

Umahi’s comments come against the backdrop of earlier reports that he had explored similar cross-party outreach in Ebonyi. In mid-2026, attempts to accommodate preferred candidates through platforms including the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Labour Party and others reportedly met resistance from party leaders and were abandoned.

The minister revisited his departure from the Peoples Democratic Party, saying the South-East had not been adequately recognised despite years of support. “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,” he said.

He invited political actors to campaign freely in Ebonyi but warned against hate speech and attempts to foment disorder. “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 linked his support for Tinubu directly to the administration’s infrastructure programme. He dismissed social media claims that he had channelled federal projects exclusively to the South-East, noting that the full list of ongoing projects is public. “I’m not on my own. The President is my boss. So where will he be when I corner all projects to Southeast?” he asked, adding that the region “might not be first, second or third” in project distribution but “definitely they will not be the last.”

He urged Nigerians to judge the administration by completed and ongoing works rather than 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.”

On the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway, Umahi said Section Two covers about 173.6 kilometres with a contract value of approximately N683 billion, while Section One is valued at about N454 billion. He directed contractors to accelerate work, open additional sections and avoid demolishing buildings along the current alignment until a federal review and possible realignment are completed. “My directive is that no building should be touched. Even if it’s within the alignment, I have to come and realign it,” he said, adding that he does not believe “in engineering that anything is impossible.”

Umahi also addressed the nomination of his son as chairman of Ohaozara Local Government Area, stating that the decision was made by Governor Francis Nwifuru. He said he had advised his son to ensure equitable development across the 11 wards rather than favour his home community of Uburu.

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Reaffirming his personal commitment, Umahi described Tinubu as “the one called by God” whose vision, reforms and performance make him the best leader he has worked with.

Continuity of major multi-year infrastructure projects, he argued, depends on the current administration remaining in office. “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.”

Umahi’s position underscores the tension between Wike’s cross-party mobilisation strategy and the insistence of many APC governors on exclusive party loyalty as the 2027 contest approaches.