*700-member Campaign Council inaugurated
By Stanley Onyekwere
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, have united behind a multi-party campaign structure in Port Harcourt, setting an ambitious target of three million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC)/Rainbow Coalition Presidential Campaign Council, Wike, who serves as the council’s coordinator and leader of the Rainbow Coalition, charged the over 700-member body to abandon traditional rally-style politics in favour of direct grassroots mobilization.
“We are going to depart from that ceremonial campaign style of converging in one place and saying we are holding a rally.
“Rather, we are going to go out to communities, to family meetings, to age-grade meetings, and to the markets to talk to them vigorously. Tell them why Tinubu should be re-elected,” Wike stated.
To meet the three-million-vote benchmark, the former governor assigned a daily recruitment quota to every member of the council.
He instructed them to secure at least five new voters daily for both President Tinubu and National Assembly candidates, noting that multiplying those daily gains across the central council and subcommittees would make the target achievable.
Wike also outlined the timeline for expanding the campaign structure, announcing that local government campaign councils would be inaugurated within a week, while subcommittee lists would be finalized by Monday.
Addressing concerns from supporters omitted from the main list, he assured them that the subcommittees would serve as the primary operational engine and absorb additional members.
Defending the “Rainbow Coalition”—which merges factions of the APC, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Labour Party (LP)—Wike described the cross-party alliance as a practical mathematical strategy to secure a decisive margin.
He also dismissed a recent public disclaimer from an individual denying membership on the council, clarifying that the appointment belonged to a namesake.
He urged members to ignore opposition provocations and focus strictly on highlighting the federal administration’s projects in the state.
In his remarks, Governor Siminalayi Fubara pledged his full backing to the coalition, noting that the current structure is broader and more coordinated than the team that campaigned in 2023, particularly as former political rivals have now closed ranks.
“Nothing is impossible. The only thing that is not possible is to revive the dead.
“If we take this as a serious task that must be achieved, we will come out decisively with a stronger vote than what we did in 2023,” Fubara said.
The governor cautioned council members against political sabotage and insincerity, urging them to remain consistent both in public and behind closed doors.
Echoing Wike’s assurances, Fubara reiterated that supporters left out of the initial roster would be integrated into the upcoming subcommittees.
Earlier at the event, the council’s Director of Administration, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, stated that campaign operatives are prepared to cover all 6,866 polling units in Rivers State, reaffirming the commitment of state elders to mobilize the three-million-vote target across every community.
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