Wike’s Rainbow Coalition a ‘Greek Gift’, Parasitic Threat to APC — Onoh

Former Southeast spokesman for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chairman of the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Denge Josef Onoh, has backed the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) in rejecting the “Rainbow Coalition” political movement associated with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Onoh said the position of the APC governors validated his earlier warnings that the ruling party should be wary of the coalition, which, according to him, neither belongs to the All Progressives Congress (APC) nor the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He described the PGF’s decision to reject an alliance with the coalition as “a courageous act of political preservation,” stressing that the APC must protect its institutional structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to Onoh, the Rainbow Coalition is not an act of political benevolence but a “calculated Greek gift” allegedly presented under the guise of supporting President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

He alleged that the coalition’s internal structure was designed to create parallel political structures capable of sponsoring PDP elements against recognised APC candidates.

“The Rainbow Coalition is not an act of benevolence. It is a calculated Greek gift wrapped in the noble guise of supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid,” Onoh said.

He further alleged that the movement could weaken the APC’s organisational foundation by creating competing loyalties and structures within the ruling party.

Onoh warned that treating the coalition with “kid gloves” could trigger internal rebellion, divide party loyalties and ultimately undermine the APC’s electoral strength.

He also claimed that the coalition’s ambitions extended beyond the 2027 presidential election, alleging that it was being positioned to build political leverage across several states.

According to him, the alleged long-term objective was to establish a powerful negotiating bloc capable of seeking the vice-presidential ticket in 2031, when he projected that the presidency would return to the North and the vice presidency to the South.

Onoh maintained that the APC remained a structured political institution governed by its constitution and established guidelines, arguing that individuals outside the party should not be allowed to operate parallel political machinery capable of dictating terms to the ruling party.

He said allowing an opposition-backed coalition to sponsor or promote candidates against recognised APC candidates could create confusion within the party, destabilise local chapters and weaken the unified political structure required for the 2027 campaign.

The former Enugu lawmaker also described the protection of Southern political interests ahead of 2031 as “non-negotiable,” warning against what he described as attempts by individuals to appropriate the region’s political future for personal ambitions.

“Protection of the 2031 Southern interest is non-negotiable and cannot be hijacked by a single individual. We from the South will not allow our political future to be mortgaged by personal, predatory ambitions disguised as loyalty to the President,” he said.

Onoh argued that genuine support for President Tinubu should be demonstrated through strengthening the APC and its established structures rather than creating independent political factions.

He commended the Progressive Governors Forum for what he described as drawing “a line in the sand,” insisting that the APC must remain a “sovereign and disciplined entity” that rewards loyal party members.

He cautioned the party leadership against outsourcing its political future to what he described as “strategic opportunists,” even when such interests were presented under the banner of a broad political coalition.