Okorocha backs Wike's Rainbow Coalition, says Uzodimma can't win Imo for Tinubu
- Rochas Okorocha says Governor Hope Uzodimma has no political structure in Imo and cannot deliver the state for President Tinubu in 2027.
- He spoke after a Federal High Court declared him the authentic APC candidate for Imo West senatorial district.
- Okorocha urged Igbo voters to back Tinubu's re-election as a strategy, not emotion, and said he would start the Rainbow Coalition in Imo.
Former Imo State governor Rochas Okorocha has thrown his weight behind the Rainbow Coalition led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and said Governor Hope Uzodimma cannot deliver Imo State for President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Okorocha spoke on national television on Thursday, hours after a Federal High Court declared him the authentic All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Imo West senatorial district. The case was a dispute over the party's ticket involving Uzodimma.
He said Uzodimma "only exists in the Presidential Villa in Abuja" and has no political structure on the ground in Imo. "Hope cannot carry Imo. Cannot carry South East," he said, and challenged the governor to test his popularity with the people.
What Okorocha is asking Igbo voters to do
Okorocha urged the Igbo to support Tinubu's re-election as a political strategy rather than an emotional choice. He argued that backing the President would strengthen ties between the Southeast and Southwest, and could earn the region support when the Southwest puts forward a candidate in future.
"As Igbo, supporting Tinubu for a second term should be a strategic alliance. We should not go into the election with emotions, but with a strategy," he said.
He insisted his position does not mean abandoning Peter Obi, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, whom he called a "fantastic gentleman". He said the Igbo should not gamble with their votes.
Okorocha also said the APC lost Imo in the last presidential election because of resentment against the late President Muhammadu Buhari, and argued that the same feeling should not be extended to Tinubu. He praised the President's economic policies but said the administration has not explained them well to Nigerians.
Coalition plans and the fight with Uzodimma
Okorocha said he will return to Imo to start the Rainbow Coalition there, bringing together the APC, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties to work for Tinubu's victory. He said some politicians will have to step down their ambitions for that common goal.
He denied that his support was bought, saying people back him out of genuine love. He also described himself as a founding father of the APC in Imo and said he would not have left the party he founded without what he called unfair treatment, adding that he has forgiven those he accused of betraying him.
The coalition has been a source of friction: Uzodimma has reportedly said the group will not be recognised in Imo.
What happens next: Okorocha says he will begin organising the coalition in Imo, while the governor's camp has rejected the group. How the two sides settle their differences will shape the APC's strength in the Southeast ahead of the 2027 elections.
