Ahead of the 2027 general elections, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s camp and several key members of the Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State reportedly held a strategic meeting in Spain.
Notably, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who recently joined the coalition, did not attend the meeting.
Recall that in July, Rivers State  Governor Siminalayi Fubara publicly declared his alignment with the Rainbow Coalition, backing President Bola Tinubu for a second term, and designated Kingsley Chinda as his choice for the state’s next governor.Â
The reported attendees included Chief Marcus Nle Ejii, Executive Director of Projects and Infrastructure Development at the South South Development Commission (SSDC); Senator Mao Ohabunwa, Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt; and Kingsley Ogundu Chinda, the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State.
The participants did not disclose the details of the meeting, but the discussions may have focused on the January and February 2027 general elections.
Wike recently identified Chinda, a member of the House of Representatives, as his preferred successor to Governor Fubara.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the campaign for the Rivers State governorship election scheduled for February 6, 2027, began on Tuesday, September 8.
Read Also: Fubara Declares Support for Wike-Led Rainbow Coalition
Backstory…
The reported Spain meeting comes against the backdrop of a major political realignment in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 governorship election. For months, the political battle between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, dominated Rivers politics and divided the state’s political structure.
The political equation changed dramatically in 2026. Fubara eventually abandoned his bid for a second term and reconciled with Wike’s camp. He later declared his support for Tinubu and the Rainbow Coalition, while also backing Wike’s preferred governorship candidate, Kingsley Chinda, for 2027.
That reconciliation has already produced several meetings involving the two camps. In August, a Rainbow Coalition reconciliation committee led by former senator Magnus Abe began discussions with Fubara’s allies. Wike and Fubara subsequently met privately in Port Harcourt, with Chinda and Abe also present.
