Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has unveiled candidates adopted by the Rainbow Coalition for the 2027 general elections in Rivers State, bringing together politicians from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The candidates were presented on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at an event held at Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt, as the coalition intensified its political mobilisation ahead of the next general elections.
The group also reaffirmed its support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term ambition, with Wike describing the coalition as an arrangement designed to unite politicians across party lines behind the President.
According to the FCT minister, the movement was not established to create political divisions but to bring people from different parties together for a common political objective.
Among the major announcements was the adoption of Kingsley Ogundu Chinda, a member of the APC, as the coalition’s preferred governorship candidate in Rivers State.
Major Jack was named as his running mate, also under the APC platform.
For the senatorial elections, the coalition adopted Felix Amaechi Obua for Rivers West and Allwell Onyesoh for Rivers East, both under the APC.
Olaka Johnson Nwogu of the PDP was selected for Rivers South-East Senatorial District.
The coalition also presented candidates for the 13 House of Representatives seats and 32 Rivers State House of Assembly constituencies.
The legislative candidates were drawn from both the APC and PDP, reflecting the group's cross-party arrangement.
The list released by Wike's aide, Lere Olayinka, showed that APC members secured most of the adopted positions. For the House of Representatives, the coalition presented 10 APC candidates and three PDP candidates across the state's federal constituencies. At the State Assembly level, 21 candidates were listed under the APC, while 11 were presented under the PDP.
Speaking on behalf of the adopted candidates, Chinda said the coalition would put political differences aside and pursue inclusive governance if its candidates were elected. He also pledged that members would remain united beyond the elections.
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara attended the unveiling and pledged to work towards the coalition's success.
Fubara credited Tinubu with supporting him during a difficult period in Rivers politics and said he would do everything within his power to secure victory for the President and the coalition's candidates.
He also urged members to operate as one political family rather than allow disagreements over leadership to weaken the arrangement.
Wike further used the gathering to criticise former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over their political records and positions. The criticisms reflected Wike's position during the event.
The Rainbow Coalition's unveiling marks another significant political development in Rivers State as parties and support groups begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.