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The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Rivers State, Farah Dagogo, has accused the Rainbow Coalition led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of being responsible for the economic hardship experienced in the state.
He declared that the Rainbow Coalition, which comprises the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP) and African Alliance (AA), would be put to the test in the 2027 general election.
The former member of the House of Representatives blamed members of the group for holding the state back from progress, vowing that their high-handedness would be rejected by the Rivers electorate.
Dagogo spoke during a strategic stakeholder consultation meeting in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, describing the coalition as an assemblage of political interests that has entrenched stagnation and prioritised personal interests over the development of Rivers State.
He said: “The truth is, it is the Rainbow Coalition against the entire Rivers State because the Rainbow Coalition people are bearers of the chain of bondage militating against the state. They are a gathering of those who have benefited from the retrogression of our state and are determined to keep it that way,” he said.
Dagogo pledged to lead the charge for the liberation of Rivers people and their resources, beginning with the 2027 elections.
“We will put their name, Rainbow Coalition, to the test in the 2027 general elections. Rivers people are tired of recycled failure. It is time to break this cycle and set our state on the path of real development,” he said.
Dagogo also faulted attempts to distort historical facts and credit President Bola Tinubu solely for the completion of the Bodo-Bonny Road, describing it as part of a pattern of false narratives by the Rainbow Coalition.
“By the time this administration came in, the project was already about 95 per cent completed. To now claim sole glory is deceptive. What happens next after it is completed, since the project is still not 100 per cent done? That is what the Rainbow Coalition does — take credit for other people’s work because they have nothing significant to campaign with for President Tinubu in Rivers State. We will not allow falsehood to distort our chequered history,” he stated.
He recalled how the Rivers State Government failed in its effort to frustrate the groundbreaking flag-off of the Bodo-Bonny Road in 2017, but today, the same group wants to take the glory and rewrite historical events.
Dagogo recalled: “In October 2017, the Rivers State Government blocked the use of public school fields in Bonny Local Government Area for the groundbreaking of the Bodo-Bonny Road by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The former Vice President is alive and knows what played out.
“The Rivers State government was pro-PDP while the APC led the Federal Government. Days before the October 12, 2017 flag-off, the Rivers State Government, through its Ministry of Education, warned school principals and headmasters not to allow school fields to be used for the federal event, threatening dismissal for non-compliance. The project was initially scheduled to take place at Government Girls Secondary School, Finima, in Bonny.
“I am speaking from the position of fact and authority as I was the Rivers State House of Assembly Committee Chairman on Education then. I kicked against it, engaged the state government and advised that we should not allow politics to get in the way of a project that would benefit our people. Of course, such efforts always fall on deaf ears,” he explained.
Dagogo said his administration would be anchored on people-centred policies aimed at restoring dignity and creating opportunities for all residents.
He listed his priority areas to include education, healthcare delivery, security, adequate power supply, job and wealth creation, as well as affordable housing for low-income families.
The ADC governorship candidate also announced plans to set aside five per cent of the state’s annual budget specifically for youth entrepreneurship.
Dagogo added that other developmental programmes would be rolled out to address infrastructure deficits, boost agriculture and support small businesses across the 23 local government areas.
“We are not coming to manage poverty. We are coming to end it. The time has come for Rivers State to move forward, and with your mandate to serve and not rule over you, we will do it,” he added.
