Umahi Rules Out Rainbow Coalition In Ebonyi, Reaffirms APC Loyalty

Minister of Works and former Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has said there is no Rainbow Coalition structure in Ebonyi State, insisting that the state remains aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Umahi made the remarks on Friday, September 25, 2026, while inspecting Section Two of the Calabar–Abuja Superhighway project at Ado in Benue State.

According to a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, Umahi was responding to questions about his relationship with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and reports of a similar political arrangement in Ebonyi.

“If Wike has candidates here, he has not told me. And his candidate cannot break our relationship, but his candidate is not part of our relationship. There is no rainbow coalition in Ebonyi State,” Umahi said.

The Rainbow Coalition is a cross-party political platform associated with Wike and aimed at mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Wike has said the arrangement allows politicians to maintain their party affiliations while supporting Tinubu and making their own choices in other contests.

Umahi also warned politicians intending to campaign in Ebonyi against hate speech and statements or actions capable of causing unrest.

“Anybody that wants to campaign, come and campaign. But don’t dish out hate speeches and you want to take those speeches, and you want us to lay a red carpet for you. We will not do that,” he said.

“Nobody can foment crisis in Ebonyi State,” the minister added.

The former governor also revisited his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying he believed the party had failed to adequately recognise the interests of the South-East despite the region's support for its presidential candidates.

“We supported the PDP. We voted for presidents in the PDP. And when it was our time for them to honour us, they did not honour us. They maltreated us,” Umahi said.

His comments come amid disagreements between Wike and some APC governors over the role and political implications of the Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.

Umahi also defended his support for President Bola Tinubu, linking his position to the Federal Government's infrastructure programme and ongoing projects across the country.

He rejected claims that federal infrastructure projects had been concentrated in the South-East, saying the distribution of projects was part of a broader Federal Government programme.

During the inspection of the Calabar–Abuja Superhighway, Umahi also directed contractors not to demolish buildings along the current alignment until the Federal Government completes a review of the route and makes any necessary adjustments. He further directed contractors to accelerate work while engineers address challenges around the Ado Bridge.