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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
A chieftain of the Nyesom Wike political family, Princewill Dike, has described as politically myopic, the call by former South-East spokesman for President Bola Tinubu, Denge Onoh, for the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to either formally join the All Progressives Congress (APC), or steer clear of the ruling party’s affairs.
Dike, a legal practitioner and political analyst, said Onoh lacked deep understanding of political developments and Wike’s political strategy, particularly the formation and essence of the Rainbow Coalition.
Reacting via his Facebook platform, Princewill Dike Platform, Dike said it takes people with foresight to appreciate Wike’s political movements.
“It only takes people with a deep understanding of political developments and the future to appreciate Wike’s political movements and strategies,” he said.
Dike argued that Wike’s political activities should not be viewed in isolation, noting that the former Rivers State governor has consistently demonstrated capacity to build bridges across political divides in the interest of President Tinubu’s re-election.
“Wike’s political activities should not be viewed in isolation. He has continued to demonstrate an ability to build bridges across political divides and bring different political interests together for President Tinubu’s re-election and those antagonising Wike do not truly mean well for the President. Yes!” he stated.
He dismissed insinuations that the Rainbow Coalition poses a threat to the APC, stressing that the platform has attracted politicians and interests from diverse backgrounds and has generated national attention because of Wike’s pivotal role in the political developments preceding and following the 2023 general elections.
Dike recalled that Wike, while governor of Rivers State, supported the emergence of his successor and also backed President Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election despite belonging to different political parties at the time.
“That is when rainbow coalition was birthed,” he said, adding that such development underscores the complexity of Nigeria’s politics, where alliances cannot always be explained along strict party lines.
According to him, the coalition has provided a platform for political reconciliation and engagement, particularly in Rivers State, where political divisions have persisted.
He also rejected the notion that Wike’s influence is limited to Rivers, insisting that the FCT minister has over the years built a national network of political relationships that could be useful to President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Dike, therefore, cautioned Onoh and other APC stakeholders against viewing every political engagement outside the formal party structure as an attempt to undermine the ruling party.
He urged APC leaders to engage the issues surrounding Wike and the Rainbow Coalition with broader political understanding, rather than relying on narrow interpretations of the minister’s political movements.
