A consensus has been reached on a candidate for the Rivers State elections in Nigeria.

Written by: Mohammed Omran

The minister announced Nigerian Federal CapitalAccording to Nisom Wiki, the four political parties that make up what is known as the “Rainbow Coalition“ in Rivers State will jointly select a single candidate for the position of governor in the 2027 elections, confirming that no one has yet been endorsed for this position.

Rivers parties agree on a joint choice for governor in 2027

During a dinner for coalition candidates in Port Harcourt on Saturday, Wiki explained that the alliance had only agreed to support the re-election of President Bola Ahmad Tinubu, while consultations were still ongoing regarding a candidate for the governorship.

He said: “The Rainbow Coalition has not yet chosen who will be the governor of Rivers State, but we have candidates from the coalition parties. The only decision we have made is to support President Bola Ahmad Tinubu in the upcoming elections.”.

This coalition includes the following parties: the People's Democratic Party (PDP), the Progressive Congress Party (APC), the Labour Party (LP), and the National Alliance Party (AA).

Rivers parties agree on a joint choice for governor in 2027

The federal capital's minister described this alliance as the largest political force in the state, stressing that any aspirant to elected office must be part of this bloc to ensure a real chance of winning.

He added: “If you want to be important in Rivers State politics, join the coalition. If you want to be governor, a member of parliament, a member of the House of Representatives, or even in local government, you should join here.”.

Wiki warned the candidates against declaring victory prematurely, arguing that this could harm the collective decision-making process within the coalition, and called on all candidates to continue grassroots work while awaiting final agreement on the governor's candidate.

He also accused some activists, commentators and media outlets of taking advantage of the political crises in Rivers State, stressing that the coalition was established with the goal of promoting unity and development in the state.

He said: “God wanted us to unite as a people regardless of our political affiliations. The most important thing is to talk about the development and unity of our state.”.

In a related context, Wiki downplayed the influence of small political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), arguing that only major parties such as the PDP, APC, and Labour Party are capable of competing and winning general elections thanks to their strong electoral structures.