Rainbow Coalition to unveil Rivers candidates Tuesday as Fubara backs Tinubu

The Rainbow Coalition will unveil its preferred candidates for the 2027 general election in Rivers State on Tuesday, October 27, its spokesman, Hon. Chibike Ikenga, has said.

The event is expected to start by 10:00am at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt, according to reports on electronic media cited by Leadership.

The coalition is made up of prominent members of the Action Alliance (AA), the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It is linked to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike.

Ikenga said the aim is to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the election. He said supporters will be asked to vote for the coalition's candidates “beginning from President Bola Tinubu down to the House of Assembly members”.

He also said the opposition in Rivers has been reduced to a small number, and invited those interested to join what he called the larger house pursuing good governance and inclusion in the state.

Fubara declares support

Governor Sim Fubara has thrown his weight behind the coalition, President Tinubu and the APC governorship candidate in the state, Kingsley Chinda.

In a video posted on X and reported by Daily Post, Fubara told his followers that the era of war in the state is over.

“We have made peace in the state and I am supporting the Rainbow Coalition,”

he said, adding that Tinubu is “our president and is the one that we are supporting.”

Fubara said everyone who believes in him should support Chinda, and told supporters there is “nothing to collect” for those asking for money before they follow the coalition.

“We need to move forward, the time of war is over, this is the time of peace,” he said. He added that he is not part of anything that will bring disability to the state.

Why it matters

Rivers is one of Nigeria's biggest oil-producing states and a key battleground for votes and control of resources. A coalition spanning four parties, backed by the state governor and a sitting minister, could reshape how the state's votes are shared in 2027.

Political analysts quoted by BusinessDay are divided on how far the coalition can go. Some, like former government media official Blessing Nwikina, argue it is a vehicle for Wike's longer-term ambition beyond 2031. Others, including lecturer Garshagu Atovigba, say its success will depend on funding and whether members stay united, and that the 19 northern governors remain a strong counterweight.

Journalist Oby Ndukwe said she is still watching to see whether the coalition builds a structure of its own outside the PDP.

What happens next

Tuesday's unveiling will show how much support the coalition can gather publicly in Rivers. Nigerians will then watch how the parties involved handle their own primaries and whether the alliance holds together into the 2027 campaigns.