Follow Us on Google
National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Samuel Anyanwu, has declared that the party’s alliance with the rainbow coalition will defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 Imo State governorship election.
Anyanwu made the declaration while responding to Governor Hope Uzodimma’s rejection of the proposed opposition alliance, insisting that the emerging coalition could end the APC’s hold on the state.
Uzodimma had, on Tuesday, warned APC members against working with political coalitions outside the ruling party during the inauguration of the Imo chapter of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, a group mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
“There is no rainbow coalition in Imo State,” the governor said, cautioning members of the movement against collaborating with groups outside the APC.
However, in a statement issued by his media adviser, Ikenna Onuoha, Anyanwu described the governor’s remarks as evidence of concern within the ruling party over the growing opposition alliance.
He argued that cooperation between the PDP and the rainbow coalition offered Imo residents an alternative to the APC-led administration.
“The APC in Imo State and its leaders are afraid of PDP and the Rainbow Coalition,” Anyanwu said.
He added that the ruling party’s dismissal of the coalition showed that its leaders were worried about the prospect of losing political power in the state.
The PDP chieftain also criticised Uzodimma’s administration over what he described as poor performance in infrastructure, healthcare, education and economic development.
He argued that the government should prioritise the rehabilitation of rural roads, equip hospitals with modern facilities, improve economic opportunities and raise educational standards.
Anyanwu further called on the state government to resolve the reported three-month strike involving lecturers at Imo State University (IMSU), urging the authorities to engage the academic staff and address the issues responsible for the industrial dispute.
He accused the administration of failing to address residents’ concerns and instead making promises that, in his view, had not translated into meaningful improvements in their living conditions.
“Imo people are weary of the 3R government and their tricks,” he said.
Anyanwu also accused the government of worsening hardship in the state and urged it to acknowledge its shortcomings.
He called on the APC-led administration to recognise what he described as growing public demand for an alternative government through the PDP and the rainbow coalition.
The exchange signals an early intensification of political rivalry in Imo State ahead of the 2027 elections, with both the ruling party and opposition figures positioning themselves for the contest.
Anyanwu, a former senator and the PDP’s candidate in the November 11, 2023 governorship election, lost to Uzodimma, who secured 540,308 votes against his 71,503, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
