Politics
WIKE: Don’t Celebrate, We Are Yet To Pick Governorship Candidate Under Rainbow Coalition
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed reports suggesting that the “Rainbow Coalition” in Rivers State has already endorsed a candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
Speaking on Saturday at a luncheon for candidates of the coalition in Port Harcourt, Wike said the political alliance had only reached a consensus on supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stressing that no decision has been made regarding the state’s next governor.
“The Rainbow Coalition, we have not chosen who will be the governor of Rivers State. But we have party candidates who have emerged under the Rainbow Coalition,” Wike said.
“The only decision we have taken is that we are going to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
The FCT Minister cautioned aspirants and their supporters against celebrating prematurely, saying such claims could create a misleading impression about the coalition’s position and his role as a member of the People’s Democratic Party.
According to him, the coalition remains a broad-based political platform comprising members of the All Progressives Congress, People’s Democratic Party, Labour Party and Action Alliance.
Wike noted that all candidates who have emerged from the participating parties remain eligible for consideration, adding that the coalition’s leadership would collectively determine its eventual position ahead of the election.
He urged members of the various political blocs to continue mobilising at the grassroots level until a formal decision is reached.
The minister also criticised what he described as years of negative publicity surrounding Rivers politics, accusing some activists, commentators and media organisations of benefiting from political instability in the state.
According to Wike, the Rainbow Coalition was created to foster unity and development across Rivers State, regardless of political affiliation.
“God said no, we must come together as a people, irrespective of our political leanings. What is important is that we must talk about the development of our state. We must talk about the unity of our state,” he said.
Wike further took a swipe at smaller political parties, including the African Democratic Congress, arguing that political rhetoric and defections alone do not translate into electoral strength.
He maintained that only the APC, PDP and Labour Party have demonstrated the organisational capacity and experience required to successfully contest elections on a national scale.
Politics
Breaking: Niger State First Lady Mobilises Stakeholders For Maternal, Child Health Campaign
Wife of Niger State Governor, Hajiya Fatima Umaru Bago, has called on wives of local government chairmen, women leaders, traditional and religious institutions and other stakeholders to mobilise communities and ensure every woman and child benefits from maternal and child healthcare services across the state.
She made the call during the flag-off of the 2026 first round of the June/July Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) in Tafa, Tafa Local Government Area, held in collaboration with development partners and funded by the United States Government.
The governor’s wife also urged pregnant women and nursing mothers to regularly visit health facilities, noting that more women and children are increasingly accessing healthcare services across the state.
“Healthcare is a shared responsibility. Government cannot do it alone. We all have a role to play in ensuring that mothers and children receive the care they deserve,” Mrs Bago noted.
She urged residents to become advocates of primary healthcare in their communities to improve access to essential health services and ensure that no woman or child is left behind.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Murtala Bagana, said the health of women and children remains critical to the state’s development agenda.
“Our determination is to strengthen healthcare delivery, expand access to essential services and improve the quality of life of our people,” he stated.
Earlier, the Executive Director of the Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency, NSPHCDA, Dr. Junaidu Inuwa, said the campaign was aimed at ensuring healthcare services reach communities across the state.
In separate goodwill messages, development partners, including the World Health Organization, WHO, and the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, described the initiative as a demonstration of Niger State’s commitment to improving maternal, newborn and child health outcomes through integrated health and nutrition services.
Speaking on behalf of development partners, Chief of UNICEF’s Kaduna Field Office, Dr. Gerida Birukila, represented by Grace Odeyemi, said sustained collaboration would help build a healthier and more resilient state.
“Together, we can build a healthier, stronger and more resilient Niger State where every mother survives and every child thrives,” she said
The Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, has removed the names of Ahmed Yayari and Daniel Woyengikuro from its portal as Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Treasurer and National Financial Secretary, respectively.
A check by DAILY POST shows that both names have also been replaced with Odeyemi Mackson Oladiran and Eyim Donatus Henry as the new executives.
Yayari and Woyengikuro who are part of the Makinde-backed Turaki faction while Odeyemi and Eyim are members of the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s faction, which is also the recognised faction of the PDP.
INEC had earlier recognised Wike’s faction by putting the names of Abdulrahman Mohammed as the National Chairman and Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary, but had left the names of Yayari and Woyengikuro as part of the executives.
With the recent update on its portal, all executives of the PDP on INEC’s portal are now aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
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