RismadarVoice Reporters
September 15, 2026
Former South-East spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu and Chairman of the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Denge Josef Onoh, has described the Nyesom Wike-led “Rainbow Coalition” as a potential threat to the unity and survival of the All Progressives Congress.
Onoh, in a statement issued to journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, expressed support for the reported position of the Progressive Governors Forum, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, against any alliance with the coalition.
He described the governors’ stance as a “courageous act of political preservation,” saying he had previously raised concerns about the activities of the coalition.
Onoh alleged that the Rainbow Coalition was not simply an arrangement to support Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid but a strategy aimed at weakening the APC through the creation of parallel political structures.
He claimed that members of the Peoples Democratic Party were being encouraged to contest elections against recognised APC candidates under the coalition’s political arrangement.
According to him, allowing such a structure to operate within the ruling party could lead to internal rebellion, divided loyalties and further weaken the APC’s electoral machinery.
“The APC is a structured institution with established constitutional guidelines. A non-member cannot operate a parallel political machine that dictates terms to the ruling party or undermines its official candidates,” he said.
Onoh further alleged that the coalition’s ambitions extended beyond the 2027 elections, claiming that it was seeking to build political influence across several states and establish a bargaining platform for the 2031 vice-presidential contest.
He argued that APC governors and leaders must protect the party’s existing structures and prevent opposition-backed platforms from fielding candidates in ways that could create confusion within the party.
Onoh also warned against what he described as attempts by individuals to dominate the political process at the expense of broader regional interests.
“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.
He maintained that genuine support for Tinubu should involve strengthening the APC rather than creating parallel political structures or factions.
Onoh commended the Progressive Governors Forum for, in his words, “drawing a line in the sand” and urged the APC leadership to maintain party discipline and protect its constitutional structures.
He also warned against what he described as “outsourcing” the future of the ruling party to political actors operating under the banner of the Rainbow Coalition.
