Two former allies of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara have joined the Rainbow Coalition, a political alliance in the state led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The latest move comes as political realignments continue ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The former Senior Special Assistant to the governor, Darlington Orji, and the immediate past Commissioner for Transport, Collins Onunwo, were reported to have become members of the coalition, which brings together politicians from different parties in support of President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid.
Their decision followed recent developments in Rivers politics after Governor Fubara announced that he was withdrawing from the race for the governorship before the All Progressives Congress primary election. His withdrawal cleared the way for House of Representatives member Kingsley Chinda to emerge as the APC governorship candidate.
The governor’s decision reportedly caused dissatisfaction among some of his supporters, many of whom said they had stood by him throughout the prolonged political crisis that affected the state.
Darlington Orji later confirmed his new political direction through a post on his Facebook page, where he shared photographs of himself with members of the Rainbow Coalition. In the post, he described his decision as a return to his political family.
The Rainbow Coalition is a bipartisan political platform led by Wike in Rivers State. The group is working to support President Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the 2027 presidential election and has continued to attract members from different political backgrounds.