Denge Josef Onoh, former south-east spokesman to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has issued a direct ultimatum to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike: either formally register as a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) or step aside from the ruling party's internal affairs ahead of the 2027 elections. Onoh, who also chairs the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu House of Assembly, made the demand in a statement reported by Vanguard on Saturday, September 12.
Onoh Calls Rainbow Coalition a Threat to APC
Onoh described Wike's political grouping, the 'Rainbow Coalition', as a calculated threat to the ruling party. He said: "This so-called 'Rainbow Coalition' is a toxic distraction, a political mirage, and a well-calculated vehicle for personal ambition that will ultimately undermine the All Progressives Congress and jeopardise the presidential election if left unchecked."
He dismissed attempts to draw parallels between Wike's coalition and the G5 governors' alliance that shaped the 2023 elections. Onoh argued that the G5 was a coalition of five sitting governors who each commanded real state-level political structures, built around the principle of regional equity. The current arrangement, he argued, bore no resemblance to that.
Onoh Dismisses Wike's Political Influence
"Today, Wike's new 'Rainbow Coalition' has completely crumbled from that standard. It is not an alliance of powerful state executives; it is a desperate collection of political castaways, disgruntled ex-office holders, and floating political contractors who hold no real electoral value in their own political wards," he said.
Onoh also questioned the coalition's reach beyond Rivers state, arguing that Wike's influence remained largely localised and that attempts to extend a "fractured blueprint" across other geopolitical zones would not deliver meaningful votes to President Tinubu.
Wike Accused of Sowing Discord in APC
Onoh took aim at Wike's recent public disagreements with Kwara state governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Imo state governor Hope Uzodimma, calling those disputes a deliberate attempt to weaken APC structures in the north-central and south-east. "By attacking highly respected APC governors who are the authentic custodians of the party's grassroots votes, Wike is actively sowing the same seeds of discord that he used to tear the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) apart," Onoh said.
Furthermore, Onoh warned against strategies that encourage voters to back the APC in the presidential contest while supporting opposition candidates in National Assembly races, arguing that such an approach could strip the party of its legislative majority since both elections run concurrently. "We cannot exchange a robust, organic party victory for a transactional arrangement," he said.
Ultimatum and Political Context
Onoh concluded with a firm position: "Our position is simple: either Nyesom Wike fully, formally and unconditionally registers as a card-carrying member of the APC at his political ward, or he must step aside immediately."
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Wike said his mission ahead of the 2027 elections is to ensure that opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi, remain politically unsettled and under pressure. The FCT minister insisted there is currently no credible, organised opposition in Nigeria, saying internal divisions within the PDP had left the political landscape without a clear frontrunner to challenge President Tinubu.
