Nigeria’s Vice-President, Kashim Shettima, has rejected the proposed voting arrangement under the Rainbow Coalition promoted by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, insisting that supporters should vote for All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates at every level in the 2027 general elections.
Shettima made the position known on Wednesday during the APC presidential campaign rally in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.
The Rainbow Coalition, led by Wike, was established to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 while allowing members of different political parties to support candidates of their choice in governorship and legislative elections.
Under the arrangement, coalition members are expected to support Tinubu for president while retaining the freedom to back candidates from other political parties for positions such as governor, senator and members of the House of Representatives and State House of Assembly.
However, Shettima dismissed the idea of separating support for the President from support for other APC candidates, declaring that the party wanted a comprehensive victory across all elective positions.
Speaking at the rally, the Vice-President urged supporters to vote for APC candidates from the presidential level down to the state assembly.
He said: “APC from top to bottom, APC from bottom to top. We do not want a situation where they say vote for the president and not the governor, or vote for the governor and not the president, or the senator, or the House of Assembly. We want APC straight.”
Shettima also assured residents of Nasarawa State that Tinubu remained committed to the state’s development, highlighting planned investments in infrastructure, education and the solid minerals sector.
He said the President had the interests of Nasarawa State at heart and was determined to deliver democratic dividends to its people.
Wike has consistently defended the Rainbow Coalition, arguing that its primary objective is to secure Tinubu’s return to office without compelling members to abandon their respective political parties.
The arrangement has, however, generated disagreements within the APC, particularly among governors and party stakeholders who believe that supporting the President should go hand in hand with supporting the party’s candidates at all levels.
Shettima’s latest remarks further highlight the growing differences over the coalition’s political strategy as parties and political actors begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
